The Guardian of Knowledge
by zoepeanut
Summary: WARNING:Spoilers for Artemis Fowl ahead. Read only if you have finished the series, or do not mind spoilers. After his death, Artemis is chosen to rise again as a Guardian, by the Man in the Moon. Now, Artemis has to learn about a whole new world of magic and creatures while Pitch rises once more to take on the Guardians and destroy belief in children around the world.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl.

 **I want to warn you that this contains spoilers for the Artemis Fowl series. It takes place at the end of The Last Guardian and after the Rise of the Guardians move.**

Artemis Fowl had done many things in his lifetime and currently, he was certain that he had found a way to cheat death itself. He remembered his last moments, trapped in the spell which Opal Koboi had attempted to cast while Holly watched down below. Everything had been set in place, ready for his spirit to return once Foaly received his clue. After all, the centaur was nearly as smart as he was so it should be simple for him to figure it out. As Artemis sat up, he frowned and stared at the moon above him. It was strange that no one was around, but he supposed that they might have wanted to give him some privacy.

Artemis was about to get up when he heard a voice, echoing within his head. It was strange, making him almost think of commands given under the _mesmer_ , though it wasn't quite the same. _You are Father Time._ It said, making Artemis frown slightly. It made little sense to him, but he was now able to sense a strange power flowing within him, reminding him of the magic he had once stolen in the time tunnel. It was not quite the same, but close enough that Artemis knew something had gone wrong with his plan. He just had to figure out what had failed, then he might be able to correct this sudden appearance of magic, and the new voice in his head. He did not want anything messing with his mind, after all, not after everything he had gone through.

"I am Artemis Fowl II, regardless of what has happened. My death will not change who I am." he said quietly, shaking his head as he realized he was responding to his own insanity. He would not give in to this, not when it was clearly a delusion. Stress was probably the source, stress from dealing with the Berserkers and Opal Koboi during that final battle. If he calmed himself down and focused once more, the voice would vanish from his mind. Either that, or it was a relapse of his Atlantis Complex, which was far more serious. He frowned at the thought, before deciding it was better safe to check and make sure it was not the disorder he once had. "Four, four, four, four." he whispered, feeling no different than normal as he repeated the word. It was not the return of the complex, so he should be safe for now.

He got up and decided it was time to go back into his home. Perhaps it would be a bit of a shock to his family, but Artemis needed to inform them that he was alive once more. Fowls always stuck together, regardless of what they went through. Even if Holly was not inside, Butler surely would be and his old friend would be thrilled to see him alive once more. He straightened his tie as he walked, glancing down and noticing specks of dirt on his suit. While it might not look as impeccable as he was used to, it would have to do for now. He had no spare suit to change into out here, but Artemis could retrieve one from his room inside.

"Mother?" he called out once he was inside, noticing how empty the room was. Perhaps they were asleep already. After all, it was clearly night outside and the twins were overactive during the day. Becket especially, with his love of sports and dislike of learning. With a sigh, Artemis walked upstairs to his own room, deciding that he would sleep as well, regardless of the fact that he was not tired. He needed to get onto a regular sleep schedule again, since this event seemed to have changed his normal sleep patterns. The young Fowl closed his eyes, waiting for dreams to come but it failed to change anything.

Artemis decided that he needed to wear out his mind, so he went to his computer to look for a challenge. Hacking Foaly was always something that took a bit of effort and that was exactly what Fowl set out to do. His fingers moved along the keys of his computer, a smile forming on his face as he forced his way through the centaur's protected files. "You can do better than that, Foaly." he commented towards the screen, picking a few files at random to look through. He could see reports from the latest Koboi incident, detailing the attack and what had happened. As he scrolled further through the documents, Artemis stopped and stared for a moment at what appeared on the screen. His clone was in the process of being made, not yet finished. Somehow, Artemis had survived the spell, but even the People had not noticed it. They were still in the process of enacting his last great scheme, according to these files which had been updated today.

Artemis sat back, his mind racing to try and solve this puzzle. He knew he had died, that was something that he could not deny. Magic, while powerful, could not bring back the dead in this manner. While his spirit may have lingered in the area, no body had been available for him to inhabit once more. None of it seemed to fit, so there had to be something Artemis did not know. It was a strange and rare occurrence for the boy, but he planned on finding out the truth behind this mystery soon enough.

Artemis began looking closer through Foaly's files, deciding to see if he had missed some concept of the People's magic that may have helped bring him back. A few additions had been made since his last search, courtesy of Qwan and No1's involvement. Most of it related to time travel and the effects it could have on the time stream. While it was useful to understand, it was not the information Artemis was searching for. He looked at another file, this one focusing on the healing abilities of the warlocks underground. While they could do many things, even they had not found a way to surpass the barrier of death itself. After reading through that, Artemis concluded that the People had not been involved in his resurrection, but someone else had to be.

His face was focused, thinking about who else might have the ability to perform magic. Certainly not humans, not after the years he had spent dealing with them. If any of them had even an ounce of magic, the People would have known and documented the strange occurrence. Artemis was focused on thinking of other types of magical creatures, myths just like the People were in the eyes of humans. If fairies were real, perhaps one of these other beings existed as well. Phoenix's were supposed to have remarkable powers of healing, if the myths were to be believed. With a smile on his face, Artemis got to work on searching through any database he could find, deciding that he would discover this new elusive race that had brought him back. He needed to know who he had to thank for his second chance at life and perhaps they could be useful to him in the future. Knowledge would only help him make better plans, after all.

 **So, I got an idea for a strange crossover and I wanted to see what you guys thought of it! It has been forever since I read Artemis Fowl, but I still love the series. Let me know if anyone seems out of character and I'll try to fix it. If I get a good enough response to the first chapter, I'll keep going with this idea! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Artemis Fowl or Rise of the Guardians.

Jack Frost was flying through the sky, laughing as he traveled towards North's workshop. Pitch had been defeated long ago, but they decided to hold monthly meetings to discuss if he had returned. They did not want a repeat of last time, when Pitch had caught them by surprise. Jack always kept an eye out for their enemy, but he was confident that the man would not be back anytime soon. After all, children's belief was stronger than ever and Jack was feeling happier than he had in a long time. He had believers in the world, people who could see and speak to him, something he never expected to have after three hundred years of invisibility.

Jack landed in the snow, knocking on the door with his staff. A nearby yeti gave him a glare, but Jack only grinned in response. "Nice to see you again, Phil." he commented, while the yeti grumbled in response. The door opened and Jack was pulled inside, stumbling at the sudden force they had used. "Jack, it is so good to see you! How have you been? How are your teeth?" Tooth asked, shoving her hands into his mouth to inspect his teeth again. Jack was never going to get used to her doing this, but he knew it was normal for the girl. After a moment of discomfort, he found himself released as she grinned at him sheepishly, her fairies flying by her side. "Great to see you too, Tooth. How's Babytooth doing?" Jack asked, noticing that the mini fairy was not with her today. Sure, she had others here, but it wasn't the one Jack had spent quite a bit of time with.

"Fine, she's out collecting teeth tonight! You should have seen how excited she was to have a mission to go on, after all of that mess with Pitch." she replied, walking with Jack towards the gathering area. The others were already there, waiting on Jack to begin their discussion. "Where have you been, mate? We've been waiting for hours!" Bunny complained, tapping his foot impatiently. Jack grinned at him, swinging his staff over his shoulders and he joined the rest of the Guardians. "Nice to see you too, Bunny. I've been busy bringing snow days and fun to children around the world." Jack commented, watching Bunny glare at him some more. "Sandy was bringing dreams to children and even he got here on time! Kids don't need that much snow, mate. Think of the rest of us for a change." Bunny argued, clearly getting frustrated with the winter spirit just like always.

"Bunny, calm down. Is no big deal! Jack is here now, so we may begin." North commented, stopping them before this could go any further. Jack shrugged, noticing a nearby elf with cookies on a plate for them. He swiped one away from the plate, nibbling on it as the meeting began. "No signs of Pitch around me, at least. I mean, my fairies have been looking out everywhere for him and he hasn't shown himself again." Tooth commented, waiting for the others to add in their comments. "My Warren's been quiet too. Pitch is long gone, mates. He isn't going to be back any time soon." he said with confidence, turning towards Jack. "For once, I actually agree with the kangaroo. No sign of him anywhere, I think he may have given up." Jack added, getting a glare from Bunny over his nickname. Jack knew that Bunny hated being called a kangaroo, but sometimes he just couldn't resist. If the guy wanted it to change, he should get rid of that accent of his and fight with something that wasn't commonly associated with Australia.

Sandy was next in line to respond, but from the looks of him he had fallen asleep already. Jack poked him with his staff, watching the golden man look up and shake his head in surprise. "Any sign of Pitch, Sandy?" North prompted, realizing that the Guardian had not heard a word of their meaning. The Sandman shook his head in response, while North stood and stroked his beard. "This is strange. No signs of Pitch, and yet…I feel something coming. I've had this feeling in my belly for quite some time now…" he began, his voice thoughtful as he spoke to the Guardians. "Oh, come on! Not this nonsense about your belly again. You told us that last time!" Bunny complained, but North already had a comeback to that comment. "Ah, but I was right, no? Pitch had been coming then, and I am certain he is planning something now. We must be alert, keeping watch at all times." North said, while the Jack snorted in response. This guy was taking it way to seriously. Pitch had not been seen in months and all of the Guardians knew that.

"I'm already keeping an eye out, to protect the children. What else can we do, North?" Tooth asked, looking concerned. She was probably the only one here taking North's warning seriously. Jack had taken another cookie, and now he was beginning to make frost patterns on the floor in front of him. Things were always so boring at these meetings, and Jack needed something to keep himself entertained. "Idea! We all look in new places. I will search North and South America, for any sign of nightmares or Pitch. Tooth, you go to Africa for your search. Bunny, you are in charge of Australia, since we all know how much you enjoy it there." North began, chuckling as Bunny grumbled in response to his location for searching. "Jack, you go to Europe and Asia, looking for any sign of Pitch's magic. We must find something, or he will come again while we are unprepared." North declared, making Jack groan. He hated work like this, it was why he had been opposed to becoming a Guardian in the first place.

"Come on, guys, we are taking this way too seriously. Can't we just have some fun while we keep an eye out for him? If he had recovered, he would have made his move already." Jack commented, trying to find a way out of this job North was giving him. He was ruining Jack's chance to play with Jaimie after the meeting. He had planned on bringing another blizzard to their city, starting a snow ball fight with him and all of his friends. They were so much more fun now that the kids actually saw him and tried to hit him. "None of us like it, mate, but this is our job. Its time for you to step up and do your part, Frost." Bunny commented, stepping away. He seemed to be accepting it just fine, opening a tunnel and vanishing from sight.

"It'll be alright, Jack. It's just for a few days, then we can go back to doing things like normal." Tooth told him, giving him a smile before she sensed a tooth that needed collecting. Jack watched her return to her job, giving the fairies by her commands on where to go. "Come on, Sandy, back me up here!" Jack said, appealing to the last Guardian left. Sandy shrugged, giving Jack a small smile before flying off on his cloud of golden sand. "Jack, it is time to get to work. Here, take the globe, it will get you there faster." North said, tossing Jack a snow globe. With a sigh, Jack decided that this was now his fate. He flew over to the larger globe in the room, watching it rotate with its lights spinning around the surface. He touched it with his staff, smiling at the country it landed on. "Alright, Ireland it is. Let's see if those leprechaun lovers are in need of some snow." Jack commented, whispering the name of the country before throwing the globe and opening a portal. He stepped through, deciding that he would still find a way to have fun on this job. He just had to try a bit harder than normal to enjoy it.

 **Wow, I'm so surprised at all of this feedback from this story! I never expected to see so many reviews so quickly, all of you are amazing! Thank you to everyone for your feedback, I want you to know that I plan on continuing this story because of all of your kind words and support. Nasakaia, I am glad you are excited about the idea, but I currently do not intend to include any pairings in this story. I tend to write people out of character when I try to include romance, so I tend to leave it out of my stories. I only have only written one story with a pairing in it, and even in that one I feel as if I stray slightly from the characters' personalities at some point.**

 **I am still debating whether or not to continue with or without re-reading the Artemis Fowl series first. I have a general outline/draft of where I want this story to go, but I'm worried about keeping everyone in character. If you want me to start with weekly updates from here on out, I can but things may not quite fit as well as they could. If you are willing to wait, I will read the series again first and make adjustments for the details about it that I forgot. Please leave your opinion in a review, I love hearing your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl.

Artemis Fowl had been searching all throughout the night, finding little proof of the existence of other magical creatures. These beings had clearly hidden themselves well, even better than the People, but Artemis was not one to stop and give up. Where normal children would see an impossible task, Artemis saw a challenge the he had to take. He only stopped when he noticed the sun outside, shining brightly through his window. His family had to be awake now, so even if he had no answers, Artemis was going to greet them for the day.

He walked into the dining room, noticing that the twins, his parents, Juliet, and Butler were all seated for breakfast. He nodded towards them sitting down and frowning when no one said a word as Artemis had entered. "Good morning, Mother. I know my presence must seem…" he trailed off, frowning as she showed no signs of hearing him. It was strange, being ignored by anyone. Artemis was used to commanding attention from everyone, simply because of his odd mannerisms and professional appearance. Now, his own family was ignoring his presence. They were eating in silence, pain hidden within the gaze of both his parents. After a few moments, Angeline dropped her fork and simply stared at the chair where Artemis was sitting, the spot he always sat in when they had a family meal. "Oh, Arty, my poor boy…" she whispered, making Artemis' frown deepen.

"Mother, I am right here. These theatrics are hardly necessary." he told her, thinking that this was some sort of prank they decided to pull on him. After all, Artemis knew he was in front of them. He had seen his own reflection, confirming that this was not some strange version of an afterlife. Even his ability to interact with the computer had been proof of that, so his mother should be able to see and hear him. "We will get through this, m'am. I am certain that Master Fowl would not want you to be upset." Butler told her, though his eyes were sad like hers. His had a tint of guilt hidden in their depths, making Artemis realize he had to inform Butler that his death had not been a result of his bodyguard's actions. Artemis had planned it to end this way, with a minor setback in the final stage of his plan.

"Please, old friend, enough of this. I grow tired of these games and I think it is time to discuss the cause of my reappearance." he announced, getting slightly annoyed with his family. When no one replied still, Artemis got up without a word, deciding that he would go to his study if they would not speak with him. As he did so, Becket decided to get up as well. "I miss Artemis simple-toon!" he cried, running through Artemis and making the young genius freeze where he stood. It had been a chilling sensation, being walked through, something Artemis never expected to feel. It was impossible for this to happen, he was made of matter. The science behind turning someone intangible had not been discovered, nor had the People discovered a magical way of doing so. Hesitantly, Artemis held out his hand towards Myles, the boy who had been getting up with a sigh. "I shall go calm him down. He is no good when he gets upset like this." he commented, walking through Artemis just like Becket had done.

"I am not here…" Artemis said, realizing the truth of the matter. Perhaps he was a spirit still, everything he saw just a figment of his imagination. His mind could have created the images of his reflection and Foaly's files with little effort, giving him what he expected to see. Artemis knew he was going into shock over the information, but he could do little to stop it. After all of his efforts to return, his plan to come back from death, some unknown power had claimed his spirit and taken away any chance he had to return home. He glanced outside, watching the sun fade behind clouds as snow began to fall. It was strange, considering how close to summer it was. Snow was a rare occurrence this late in the year and Artemis was frowning as it fell from the sky.

"I need some air, regardless of the cold. Perhaps it will help me think this through." Artemis commented, frowning as he realized that he was essentially talking to himself. No one could hear him and it was a sad state for him to be in. He vowed to stop doing so, to only speak when someone spoke to him. Artemis would not fall victim to insanity, not after all he had done to fill himself with knowledge and intellect. The world still needed someone like him, if it was going to survive in the future.

Suddenly, Artemis felt his magic surge and he stumbled as he walked. Images played in front of his eyes, none of which were real but all part of his mind. One seemed to come into focus more than the others, an image of a black horse outside, with glowing yellow eyes. It was not a normal horse, either. Based on the way it seemed to lose particles in the wind and the texture Artemis could see, the creature appeared to be made of sand, yet it was alive and moving. As he watched the creature, he saw himself outside with it, unaware of what was coming and ultimately being taken by the creature.

As soon as he had been grabbed and taken away, the vision faded from Artemis' eyes. It had felt so strange, yet it came from his own magic. He frowned slightly, deciding to be prepared for the creature in the event that it was actually outside. Instead of walking out the door, Artemis went upstairs to his study, pulling up the feed on his security cameras to view the area just outside of the house. He could see the very creature that had been in his vision, standing and waiting for Artemis to come outside. He needed a plan if he wanted to leave, a plan that would only involve himself it seemed. Unlike so many of his other adventures, Artemis was alone right now with no one to hear or help him.

Now, plans were great for many things. He could think of plenty of ways to get out and deal with the creature, but most of them involved a lot of running and coordination, things that Artemis was never very skilled at. Perhaps with Holly or Butler he could have completed these plans, but on his own the boy was certain that he would fail. The horse seemed to be getting impatient too, rubbing its hoof against the ground as it stared eagerly at the door of Fowl Manner. He wondered why Butler had yet to notice it, but perhaps it was invisible and intangible, just like he was. Maybe instead of being dead, this was a strange side-effect of whatever magic had been used to bring Artemis back. It was a possibility, considering he had yet to discover how he was alive.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of laughter outside. With a flicker of annoyance flashing across his face, Artemis glanced out the window only to blink in surprise at what he saw. A young boy, probably close to his own age, was flying through the sky. His hair was white and he wore a dark blue hoodie, with a shepherd's crook in his hands. As Artemis watched him, the boy seemed to stop for a moment, staring at the area of the grounds that contained the horse. With a faint smile, Artemis realized that this could very well be the distraction he had been looking for. Getting up, Artemis walked over to the door and waited, knowing that any fight outside would make noise of some kind. Once he heard some kind of taunt from the boy, Artemis ran outside, grimacing as he did so. He hated running, but he would be more likely to get away running than fighting.

The white-haired boy seemed to blast the creature with magic from his staff, a strange method of fighting. In almost seconds after being hit, the creature exploded into a pile of sand on the ground, giving Artemis a reason to stop running and kneel down, panting slightly from the exhaustion. Perhaps he did need to find time to exercise, but he hated the very idea of doing so. "Hey, kid, are you alright?" the boy said, kneeling down next to Artemis. The young genius only frowned, trying to solve this new puzzle. He was invisible to his family, but this boy could see him. Something far stranger than he realized was going on, and Artemis was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Of course, you aren't a believer. Well, you're welcome anyway. I just saved your butt from a nasty nightmare, kid." he commented, making Artemis glance over at him. Perhaps speaking would be a good idea. "My name is Artemis Fowl II. Please do not refer to me as anything else." he said, his voice calm and steady considering what he had just been through. The other boy blinked in surprise, grinning at Artemis as he stood up. "Artemis? Isn't that a-" he began, looking like he was going to laugh. With a sigh, Artemis interrupted him and gave an answer already. "Girl's name? Indeed, it typically is however I find it quite fitting for myself." he replied, watching the boy chuckle softly.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you kid, but I've got things to do." the boy commented, but Artemis was not finished yet. This boy had answers and Artemis was not going to let him leave until Artemis knew the truth. "Perhaps, but I have a few questions for you nonetheless. I suppose I should ask for your name, if we are going to have a proper discussion." Artemis commented, watching the boy blink in surprise. "Wait, you can see me, right?" he asked, a strange question until Artemis thought of his own situation. He was not seen by his family, so perhaps this boy suffered from the same fate. "Indeed I can, however that does not answer my question." he replied, still waiting for an answer as the boy frowned.

"That's not possible…you need to believe in order to…" he mumbled, still not answering Artemis. The young genius sighed, deciding he had to figure out the answer on his own. This boy had magic, seemingly over ice and snow. Based on his research into mythical creatures, the boy could be a few individuals. His comments led Artemis to believe that they were similar in the nature of their magic. Remembering what he had been told when he first woke up, Artemis' mind went to thinking of childhood fairy tales. Old man winter did not quite seem to fit, since the boy was so young, but Jack Frost certainly did. "I suppose I shall start with something else then. What-" Artemis began, only to watch the boy freeze and stare into the sky. The northern lights had appeared, strange for this time of year and in this location. Perhaps there was more magic around him than he realized, but Jack Frost seemed to take it as a sign to leave. Without another word, he flew off into the sky, leaving Artemis alone in the yard.

"Belief, you said? Perhaps I will try just that." Artemis commented, keeping his words in mind. While he had not directly answered Artemis' questions, the boy had certainly given him clues as to where to go. His family certainly believed in the existence of Artemis, but they were under the impression that he was dead. Perhaps he would simply have to wait, wait until Holly brought the clone to resurrect him. Then, Butler would have hope and perhaps just a little belief that Artemis was alive, allowing him to be seen once more. With a sigh, Artemis walked back inside, knowing he would have to wait for quite some time if he was going to be seen. Perhaps it would be the perfect chance to experiment with his new magic. It could be useful in the future.

 **So, I didn't get much feedback last chapter as to what you guys preferred. As it stands, one person simply wanted the story to be written until the end, therefore I will simply continue with the idea as I have it planned out currently. Feel free to let me know if anyone seems too out of character for this story, I would be happy to have your input to keep it on track.**

 **Thank you to for your review last chapter, as it stands, I do have enough planning done to promise you this story will be completed. I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to its continuation! For anyone interested, I will keep an estimated update schedule for this story on my profile. If you are wondering when the next chapter will be up, feel free to take a look. As always, please leave a review to tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl.

Jack hated leaving the kid like this, but he knew the urgency of North's signal. Having just seen a nightmare here, he knew Pitch was making his move somehow. The Guardians needed his help, so he didn't have time to solve the mystery of the kid who saw him without belief. He flew through the sky, rushing towards North's workshop to see what was going on. When he arrived, the yetis were tense and even the elves seemed to be hiding somewhere. "North, where are you?" Jack yelled out, flying through the shop that seemed to be empty without the Guardian of Wonder. He flew over to the globe, where the lights twinkled and gave him a brief sense of relief. At least the believers were still there, plentiful on the globe in front of him.

He could see the lever that had been pulled to signal the Guardians, but North seemed strangely absent from the workshop. "What is going on here?" Jack asked himself, frowning as he glanced around the shop. It was a bit of a mess, looking like some kind of fight had occurred here. Toys were scattered across the ground, some broken from their impact with the floor. Paint seemed to splatter around as well, on the walls and the floor. The panicking elves and yetis only seemed to further the idea that someone had been here, while the other Guardians had been out searching for Pitch. "Really, mate, calling me after-oh no." Bunny said, as he came inside the shop. Jack turned towards him, his face grave as he pieced together the clues. North was gone, probably taken by Pitch while they had been distracted.

"If he's gone, then who…" Jack began, trailing off as the sound of laughter echoed throughout the room. Jack recognized that voice and he immediately tensed up, raising his staff as he gazed around the pulled out his boomerangs, standing behind Jack and waiting for their enemy to be visible. "Pitch." Jack said gravely, his face serious for once as he searched for the king of nightmares. "Jack Frost, it is good to see you again. Nice to see you all friendly with the Guardians once more." his voice shouted out, echoing around the room as shadows began to spin around the workshop. "Get out of here, you coward!" Bunny called out, annoyed at the fact that Pitch was hiding.

"Oh no, I don't think I will. You see, I've learned from my mistake, Bunnymond. I simply can't take you all on together, so I will destroy you one by one. I promise you, once Christmas comes this year, children will never believe in you again." he said ominously, laughing as the shadows vanished from sight. "Say goodbye to Christmas, Guardians. Know that you will be gone soon enough as well." he added, his voice fading away. The workshop seemed brighter again, but Jack and Bunny did not move or feel any relief. "He was right. We didn't listen to him, and now he's gone." Bunny said, his voice filled with sadness over their loss. Jack glared at the room in front of him, sending a blast of ice into the table that once held colorful toys for christmas. It exploded in a shower of frost and wood, destroying the table in his anger.

"Hey, that's not helping, mate! Calm down and think this through." Bunny said, touching Jack's shoulder. He shrugged Bunny off, glaring at the ground in front of him. This was his fault, for not even wanting to search for Pitch. If he had looked harder, found that nightmare sooner, perhaps he could have given North a warning. Instead, Jack let himself get distracted by some teenager. Regardless of the mystery of the kid, Jack shouldn't have let himself get distracted from a mission this important. Not long after his outburst, Tooth and Sandy came flying in, responding to the signal in the sky. "Jack? What happened?" Tooth asked, noticing the state of the workshop. The young spirit was not himself right now, no trace of a smile on his face as he stared at his fellow Guardians.

"North's gone." Bunny said, when Jack didn't reply. The winter spirit pulled his hood over his head, covering his hair and flying over to the window sill he once sat on after Sandy had disappeared. "Jack, it's not your fault." Tooth said softly, recognizing his mood. Jack ignored her, his gaze looking out onto the snowy ground outside. "You're wrong. I'm the one who said Pitch was gone, that he would not be coming back. If I had just listened to him…" Jack said, trailing off as he frosted over the window in front of him. North had always supported him here, been by his side to teach him what it meant to be a Guardian. Jack simply couldn't imagine doing this job without him here.

"I did that too, mate. Don't go putting this all on you when we all did the same. We looked for Pitch, just as he asked." Bunny argued. "I should have tried harder! I saw a nightmare while I was in Ireland, Bunny! If I had flown right back afterwords, if I hadn't stayed…." Jack said, feeling guilt within himself once more. Sandy was looking uncomfortable with the fighting, but without North here no one was going to be able to break these two apart. That had always been his job, after all. "Jack, calm down! We all make mistakes, there is no need to react like this. We'll fight back and bring him home, just like we did with Sandy." Tooth said, trying to bring some sense into the winter spirit. He was still refusing to listen, glaring at them all as he stood in front of them once more.

"Wait…you _saw_ one of Pitch's Nightmares? What stopped you from coming back, mate? More fun with Pitch again?" Bunny asked, his tone turning accusing towards Jack. They both remembered what happened during Easter, when Pitch attacked last time. Jack glared even harder, stepping forward with his staff pressed into the ground. "Sure, you just love to think that, don't you Bunny? Never going to let that one go, are you?" he replied icily, feeling the temperature drop a few degrees in the room. Sandy nudged Tooth, hoping maybe she could break them apart like North would have done at this point. "Uh, guys? Now isn't really the time for this…" she suggested, but she was not nearly assertive enough to get their attention.

"Maybe you wanted this to happen! You have been working with Pitch this entire time, Frost. I always said we couldn't trust you, that this was all just some trick." Bunny said, his voice getting louder as he argued with Jack. The winter spirit was just as angry, upset as well after what happened to North. "Bunny! This isn't his-" Tooth tried, but Jack was already responding. "Really? I was off helping some kid! I was doing my job, unlike you. What have you been up to lately, sitting around the Warren? It's not like you have eggs to paint this far away from Easter!" Jack argued, adjusting his grip on his staff. He was seconds away from blasting Bunny with some snow, just to teach him a lesson.

Just as Bunny was about to reply, Sandy decided it was time to get their attention. He picked up a nearby elf, shaking it just as he did before to get their attention. Bunny and Jack turned towards him, blinking a few times as they snapped out of their anger. Tooth stood by Sandy's side, waiting for them to look at them. "Enough! Both of you, this isn't helping. We know Pitch is out there now, fighting back again. We need to make a plan and keep things safe. Bunny, you might not like christmas, but you do know how to paint and decorate. You are now in charge of helping the yetis prepare for christmas. North did not let belief in us die last time Pitch was here and we will do the same for him." Tooth announced, trying to take charge of this group. Bunny sighed, nodding and turning back towards the yetis. "Frost did have a point, I guess. Let's see just how well I can do at toy making. If North can help paint a few eggs, I should be able to make a few toys." he commented, walking off into the workshop.

"Jack, I know you are upset right now, but we need you to calm down. Someone needs to keep an eye out for Pitch. I can stay here, protect Bunny while he makes the toys and give out the signal if anything happens. You and Sandy are in charge of searching for Pitch, wherever he may be hiding." Tooth suggested, her voice soft as she touched Jack's shoulder again. This time, Jack didn't shrug her off. He stared into her eyes, taking a deep breath and nodding. "Alright. Let's do this, for North." he told her, putting a small smile on his face. With a plan in place, Jack now had something to do to keep himself occupied. He flew off, knowing that Pitch was out there and that the Guardians would be here to stop him.

 **Thank you all for your amazing reviews once more! Anami, I have yet to read any review that I find annoying, I love hearing your feedback regardless of if it is** **repetitive or not. Seeing some kind of feedback is always better than nothing to me, so I appreciate your kind words! Sorry if chapters seem a little short, I've noticed than I have a tendency to average around 2,000 words per chapter if that helps you get an idea of what to expect for the length of future chapters. I do hope to continue with weekly updates from here on out, keep reading and I hope you enjoy! Please review if you have some kind of comment or advice for me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Artemis was beginning to realize the reason for the name he had been given. His magic all seemed to center around time, seeing all possible futures and even giving him the ability to alter the flow of time around objects. He most likely could affect people as well, but Artemis already knew the outcome of time travel and did not want to go through that again. Dealing with one Opal had been hard enough without him bringing her past self into the future. The objects he altered didn't necessarily have to travel into the past, either. He could age them, speeding up the flow of time around them, or even reverse time on them. It was interesting to watch, though he grew bored as he mastered the skill.

The month went by fairly quickly with his experiments to keep him occupied. His family went on, unaware of the boy haunting their house. Some of them may have noticed strange things going on in Artemis' study or his old room, but none of them ever believed the young Fowl was back. Artemis knew how to be patient, however, something that had helped him in the past and would continue to aid him now. Today was the day his clone was completed, after all. Butler would finally see him again and then it would only be a matter of time before the rest of his family saw as well, if Jack Frost was correct in his theory.

Artemis walked outside, taking a moment to think about the things he had seen in the future lately. Something dark was coming, though there was a path that led to peace. He had seen flashes of more creatures of sand, mixed with a face that seemed to haunt his mind. The glowing yellow eyes set into a grey face framed with spiky black hair came to him at random moments, making Artemis wonder if this enemy would force him to struggle just as Opal had. Perhaps he should have been making a plan to stop this man, but Artemis had to get his friends and family back first. After all, he may have changed for the better, with a small spark of decency within him, but he still valued his own life and his family above the needs of others.

He sat down and waited, knowing Holly would bring the clone to the exact spot he had died in. It was necessary, if Artemis had actually needed to be revived at this point. His spirit should have been forced to linger in the area, if he had been strong enough to stick around for this long. With an empty vessel to inhabit, his theory had been that his spirit could overshadow it, just as the berserkers had overshadowed the wills of his brothers during their attack on the manor. He watched Captain Short arrive, placing the clone on the ground in front of Artemis. She did not see him either, though Artemis planned on rectifying that soon enough.

As Butler came out, everything was set for Artemis' supposed resurrection. Snow began to fall, making the young boy frown slightly. They should not be getting this much snow right now, however it could be the result of Jack Frost, the boy he believed to have met earlier this month. If he was nearby, something could very well be about to happen. Taking a brief break from observing his friends, Artemis glanced into the future, seeing what might lie ahead. He saw a trap coming, more of those horse-like creatures attacking and coming for Artemis. While the boy did not know why he was a target, he did have to make a plan to stop them. Perhaps with Butler's assistance, they could be destroyed.

"He isn't moving yet, Holly. Is this going to work?" Butler asked after a moment, making Artemis frown. He seemed to believe that Artemis would come back, at least up until now. Perhaps he had missed something, some small clue that would lead to his visibility. Maybe it wasn't belief at all, but that was when he realized what was missing. The voice had told him he was Father Time, so that was who they had to believe in. Artemis Fowl would get them to believe, he just had to be a bit more creative than before. Glancing around, he decided to start by getting their attention. Perhaps his trick with Opal's clone could be replicated, if clones could actually interact with him unlike most people.

He began tapping on the ground, waiting for the clone to respond. Slowly, its hand began to move around, making both Holly and Butler gasp. "It has to work. He's moving now, didn't you see?" Holly commented, watching it happen again. Artemis knew that this was not enough, however, so he pulled off the wristwatch he had been wearing, dropping it on top of the clone in front of them. Both Butler and Holly frowned at the new object that came from no where, observing the watch carefully. With a small smile, Artemis decided to demonstrate his power, turning the watch forward and backward with his magic. It was amusing to see their reactions, however it was not quite giving him the results he had hoped for.

"Something is not right here, Holly. This is not natural." Butler commented, glancing at the fairy who might have an answer for him. "Don't look at me, Mud Man. I'm just as lost as you are." Holly replied, gazing at the watch as it moved. "It is magic, isn't it?" Butler asked, clarifying what he was seeing. The fairy nodded, but her frown indicated that it was not normal, even for magic. "Almost, but not quite. Perhaps there is something else…" Artemis murmured, watching them try and solve the puzzle. "It may be magic, but it certainly isn't magic from the People. I'd be able to sense it then." Holly commented, a frown still on her face as she picked up the watch. Artemis stopped then, not wanting to affect her with his magic. After all, he still did not know the effect it could have on people or fairies. His gaze turned towards the rosebush instead, smiling as he played with his magic. Flowers bloomed suddenly and wilted, before he turned the clock back and returned the bush to normal.

"This is why I sometimes wish things were simpler for us. Magic is meant to be nothing but a myth to humans, much like your kind." Butler commented, grimacing as he stared at the body that had stopped moving. When he noticed the change in the flowers, the expression changed into a frown of confusion but he did not comment on it. Artemis was getting slightly frustrated now, wondering just how to convince them of the existence of something from fairy tales. "Well, I don't. Artemis was special, he always knew what to do. He would probably know what was going on with this right now, if he were here." Holly replied, sighing and dropping the watch now that it had stopped moving. Her gaze turned up, her eyes widening as well at the adjustments that had been made to the bush in front of her. Artemis stopped playing around with the roses once she noticed, hoping that one of them would get some kind of an idea about what was going on soon. "Perhaps he is here. Do you think this is a sign from him?" Butler asked, having little knowledge of spirits and what they could do.

"Not possible. Even if he were alive, magic like this is beyond the capabilities of Mud Men." Holly explained, watching as the watch began to turn again. Artemis resumed his efforts on the watch now that it was out of her hands, knowing that he, Father Time, was running out of time. He smiled at his small joke, but he needed to stay focused. "Maybe it is something else. Are there other magical beings out there, other than fairies?" Butler asked, thinking the People would have an answer to the question. Artemis twitched, realizing he was so close. Butler was suspicious, questioning the existence of magical creatures just as Artemis had done when he first came back. He just needed one more push in the right direction.

"Ha! You Mud Men and your superstitions. Some stories are just stories after all. Hate to disappoint you, but Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aren't really out there." Holly said, amused with Butler's question. It was close though, so very close to what Artemis was. He watched Butler's face frown, studying the watch and his young charge for a moment. "Perhaps not…what about Father Time? Where did that myth originate from?" he asked, observing how the watch continued to move forward and back, never remaining on the same time for long. "Well, I'm certain Artemis told you about where Santa Claus came from. Father Time was more so your own imagination, a desire to explain a natural process in the world." Holly commented, but Butler was not so sure anymore. Artemis stopped the watch, waiting for Butler to open his eyes and see. It took just a few more moments, but the manservant suddenly jumped back at the sight of Artemis sitting next to his clone, his hand hovering over the watch that was being altered.

"I understand that you are in need of an explanation, old friend, but we are out of time I'm afraid. I suggest preparing yourself, because an enemy is near." Artemis said quietly, watching Butler nod and turn around, drawing his gun. Artemis closed his eyes, focused on what was to come and where it would most likely come from. He could see all possible futures, and separate the most likely from the least likely. "Aim towards your left, about three centimeters from your current position." Artemis directed, watching his bodyguard nod and follow his instructions. Staring at his watch, which Artemis had retrieved for the purpose of this, he counted the seconds to make the timing just right. "Fire. Now, adjust your aim to be about half a centimeter higher, two point seven centimeters to the right." he directed, watching Butler move accordingly. The first Nightmare had bee hit head on, dispersing into a pile of sand when the bullet collided with it. Butler simply needed someone to direct his aim and Artemis was only happy to comply.

"What am I shooting at, sir?" Butler asked, confused by the exercise when Artemis had him fire again, also adjusting his aim once more. "Based on the words of someone I met some time ago, nightmares. Strange name, though I suppose I am not one to judge." Artemis commented, before telling Butler to fire once more. At this point, more were coming, surrounding Artemis and Butler. This would become more complicated, quite soon. This method of attack would not work for much longer if they were going to keep these creatures at bay. "Can you see them?" Artemis asked, wondering if Butler had gained enough belief yet. The bodyguard frowned for a moment, before his eyes widened and he nodded.

"Good, that will make things a bit easier. Inform Captain Short that it would be wise to engage her shield. I do not think we should alert our enemies to her presence yet." Artemis commented, knowing that Holly could not hear him yet. The elfin girl was getting confused at this point, having noticed Butler's shots and now his discussion with seemingly nothing. "Also, if you must address me I suggest you use Father Time. It is not my preferred name, however my real name will only cause confusion for Holly at the moment." Artemis added, watching the nightmares closely. They seemed to have stopped moving, now that they were trapped within their circle. "Holly…Father Time has suggested bringing up your shield. We are facing some kind of magical enemy that even the People do not know about." Butler said, relaying his message with a frown at Artemis' new title.

Holly looked confused as well, but did as the bodyguard asked. Artemis smiled, glad that he had been wearing a modified LEP helmet before he left. Artemis had not wanted to miss any signs of the People near his clone's body, wanting to make sure none of them could see him either. Now, he was able to see Holly regardless of her shield, though it would do him little good in this situation. Butler began firing again, this time focused on the enemy without Artemis' assistance. For each one that fell, another seemed to rise and replace it. "Sir, I think it would be best to find a way to retreat. There are simply too many of them." Butler suggested, concentrating on his targets. Artemis nodded, but he had yet to come up with a proper plan to allow for their escape. They would have to make a path through these creatures, either through diversion or a massive path of destruction.

Artemis was still focused on creating his plan when someone else joined the fight, blasting away at the nightmares with ice and snow. Artemis glanced up, smiling as he discovered his diversion. "Butler, now!" Artemis yelled, getting up and rushing towards the now cleared path in the circle. He stumbled a bit, nearly tripping over a rock on the ground before Butler grabbed his collar to keep him on his feet. Artemis hated the fact that for some reason, he always ended up running when he dealt with enemies. He wished that at least one time he would be able to rest and simply use his mind to win.

Holly was flying right behind them, clearly confused about the situation but trusting Butler's judgment. "Okay, Mud Man, start explaining. What makes you think Father Time is even real?" Holly demanded, once Butler had stopped running. Artemis could see Jack Frost behind them, blasting away at the nightmares with his magic. "Keep going! Get out of here, kid!" he yelled, his gaze turning to Artemis for a moment before focusing on his fight. Unlike with Artemis and his friends, the nightmares seemed to have no qualms about engaging the winter spirit in battle, rushing forward and biting at his hood. Some tried to kick out with their hooves, but Jack seemed to be rather quick and nimble, dodging with ease and sometimes flying into the air to avoid their attacks.

Artemis knew he had to help and he now had the perfect idea of what to do. "The watch was the start of it, some magical manipulation of time right in front of us." Butler stated, watching Holly sigh and shake her head. "Plenty of other things can do that. Moving hands on a clock is easy, not necessarily implying a change in the flow of time." she replied, reasoning out what had happened. "Please, Holly, I know it sounds unreasonable, but just take a leap of faith this once. I promise you, I am not lying to you still have any doubts, think about the rose bush as well. What else can explain roses blooming, wilting, then blooming once more?" Butler said, realizing that he would not be able to convince the girl of the truth.

Artemis could see her debating whether or not to listen to his bodyguard, but he had to enact his plan first. He closed his eyes, focusing on the swarm of nightmares in front of him. This was the closest thing he would get right now to a living test subject for his magic, so he was going to take this opportunity. Lifting his hand slightly, Artemis focused on slowing time around the nightmares, freezing them in place while frowning as he focused on leaving Jack unaffected. "Whoa, that's strange." Jack commented, tapping one of the horses with his staff. Frost spread over it, this time literally freezing it while they all remained motionless. "Hurry, I cannot hold this for long." Artemis told him, gritting his teeth as he focused on maintaining the spell. It was a struggle for right now, but with practice he might be able to make this a task that would be easy to perform.

Jack blinked slightly, nodding before sending a wave of ice that destroyed the rest of the army, letting Artemis drop his spell and let out a breath of relief. Jack flew over to them, giving Artemis a small smile as he swung his staff over his shoulder. "Nice to see you again, kid. Why are all of these nightmares targeting you?" he asked, frowning as he looked back at the piles of black sand on the ground. Artemis wanted to know the answer as well, but he was distracted by a voice behind him. Holly had finally made her decision to trust in Butler and she was staring at him in shock. "Artemis?"

 **Thank you for your wonderful reviews once more! I really appreciate the advice, it is what I joined this site to** **receive. Hearing what I need to improve on will only help me grow as a writer, so please let me know if I get better at providing more details for you! I've had a few people mention similar things in the past, so it is something I am still striving to improve on as I keep writing. Also, Zoe is fine, feel free to address me as such in your reviews Anami.**

 **So, now Artemis has a few believers, what do you guys think? Did I do a believable job at convincing others of his existence? Let me know what you think in a review, I really appreciate hearing your thoughts!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl was never one for physical contact. He was too shocked to react when Holly rushed forward and hugged him, her arms reaching up to wrap around his waist. Her shield had vanished after the fight, since she seemed to think it was safe now that Butler had relaxed. Behind Artemis, Jack was watching with interest, at first seeing just a child hugging the boy. That was until he saw the pointed ears and her adult-like features. While she might be short, this girl was clearly not a child. "Well, looks like we've got someone else to join in the fun. Let's see, we've got some snow and plenty of participants…" Jack was saying, but it was obvious that Artemis was not listening. It was no fun being ignored by his only believer here.

"It is good to see you again, Captain. Though, I do wish this happened under better circumstances. It appears I have a target on my back once more." the boy claimed, but Jack was not going to let him get away with ignoring him. "So that's how you want to play, huh? Let's just see you try and stay silent after this." Jack commented, creating a snow ball and preparing to enchant it with his frost. As soon as it left his hand, Jack watched it freeze in the air behind Artemis, the boy turning around and giving him a cold stare. "I would appreciate it if you allowed me to deal with this matter on my own. You are simply getting in the way at the moment, Mr. Frost." Artemis commented, making Jack give him a smirk. The boy did know his name after all, just like Jack had expected. While it didn't explain the strange behavior of the Nightmares from before, it certainly cleared away some of the mystery of this kid.

The snowball remained in the air for a moment, before flying back in the direction it came from, hitting Jack in the chest. "Hey! How'd you do that one, kid?" Jack asked, but Artemis was back to focusing on Butler and Holly. "Master Artemis? Who are you talking to?" Butler inquired, frowning as he saw nothing in the space his charge had been looking into. "Something new and rather unexpected. Perhaps more of our human myths are true than we realized." he replied, making Jack frown. "Come on, the least you can do is give me credit for my own work! I took out Pitch's nightmares for you, didn't I?" Jack complained, flying in front of the kid to get his attention. "How is this even possible? We did as you asked and I can still see…" Holly began, trailing off as she looked back towards the spot where Artemis' clone lay. Jack followed her gaze, his eyes growing wide at what he saw. "No way, there's two of you! That is awesome, can we get a second me around too? That would mean twice the amount of fun for children all over the world!" Jack cheered, while Artemis simply raised an eyebrow at him.

Jack was beginning to see that this kid was a hard one to entertain. He liked pretending to be calm and cool, not too strange for a teenager but typically easier to break through than this. "Yes, there was a minor complication to my original plan. Something, or someone, interfered after my death." Artemis said calmly, kneeling down by the clone. "It seems that this clone will have no use to us for now. Perhaps later…" he murmured, his voice going quiet as he began to grow thoughtful. Jack was rather bored with this child that seemed to think far too much about everything. Perhaps he should take off, look for Pitch elsewhere. Then again, this was the second time Pitch had sent his minions here, so Jack could have a bit of luck hanging out for a while.

"Clone? You really had yourself cloned? Isn't that kind of…well impossible?" Jack asked, but the boy did not seem to be willing to reply. This kid liked staying silent and cryptic it seemed, much to Jack's annoyance. "Artemis, just what have you done?" Butler asked, clearly thinking about the latest threat to his life. The boy simply frowned, still thoughtful. "I am not quite sure. This enemy seems to be clever, keeping themselves hidden from me while they send these creatures to fight." he commented, glancing over at Jack for a moment. "So, you haven't seen Pitch yet? Trust me, kid, be glad that he hasn't shown himself. That's when things get really bad." Jack commented, making Artemis simply shrug in response. This kid didn't seem to be phased by much, always hiding his emotions and speaking so analytically about everything. Jack planned on changing that, with the help of a little fun.

"Have you fought those things before?" Butler asked, clearly looking alarmed at the thought. Based on the discussion between the two, Jack was beginning to think that the large man worked as a bodyguard. It seemed to fit his skills and the way he seemed to speak to the child, his voice filled with respect for someone so much younger than he was. "Once, though I would not consider it much of a fight. The creature had been waiting for me, though I am still uncertain of its purpose. They seem to want to kidnap me, though I do not know what this individual wants with me." Artemis explained, making Jack feel a bit worried. Pitch shouldn't have an interest in children beyond inspiring fear, so why was he after this Fowl kid? It didn't make sense, but it was his job to keep the kid safe. He had to make up for his mistake with North, even if it meant hanging out around someone as boring as Artemis.

"I'll get Foaly to see if he can find anything. Clearly, this is beyond the scope of human abilities to handle." Holly commented, playing with something on her strange helmet. Jack was curious what it did, but he didn't question too much. Artemis had even stranger headgear, with something that looked similar to goggles strapped onto his head. Clearly, they were electronic and served a different purpose that Jack could not determine. "Do you have a plan, sir?" Butler asked, making Jack realize they deferred to the kid for orders. It was strange in his mind. Jack would have expected the large guy to give the orders around here, with his intimidating presence that was even scarier than North when he had given Jack his speech on centers.

"Alright, this has gotten a bit too boring for my tastes. Let's take a break and have some fun!" Jack announced, grinning and trying once more to throw some snow at the Irish boy. His gaze turned towards Jack, once again making the snowball stop in midair and fly back towards the winter spirit. "Come on, what keeps doing that?" Jack said, getting frustrated with his powers for backfiring. How was he supposed to teach this kid to have fun if his powers wouldn't work right? He saw a small grin on the child's face, making Jack question if this kid had somehow done something. That was a look of satisfaction, something Jack wanted to know the truth behind. "I suggest you stop trying to throw snow at me, Mr. Frost. It will not end well for you." he commented calmly, clearly expecting Jack to take this as a challenge. The boy was right, Jack Frost was not one to step down from a snowball fight, especially when there was a chance of him actually losing.

"Master Artemis, who is this person you keep speaking to?" Butler questioned again, though the young Fowl did not answer. He was focused on stopping the oncoming onslaught of snow, sending it straight back towards its attacker as he reversed the flow of time on it. It was strange to break the laws of physics, but Artemis found it strangely entertaining. Watching this winter spirit lose in a snowball fight had some kind of irony that amused the young genius. "Alright, I surrender! Tell me how you do that!" Jack demanded, getting up and stopping his attacks. Artemis grinned at him, showing a smile that made Jack wonder if vampires had suddenly come into existence. It was creepy as heck and it made Jack want to get out of here quick. "I am Father Time, of course. How else would you explain something stopping in the air, without another force acting upon it?" he commented, but Jack was lost on the last part of his statement. He was focused on his introduction, telling Jack that this kid had been chosen to have magic just like he had been.

That changed things dramatically. Pitch was coming after the kid, because he was a potentially powerful ally. Jack could see that from only minutes of playing around with him. If Artemis decided to team up with Pitch, there would be no chance of stopping him this time. "So that's what he's after…" Jack whispered, studying the kid for a moment. Manny had seen something in the kid, otherwise he would not have made Artemis a spirit of any kind. Control over time was a power much stronger than what most Guardians received, making Jack wonder just what Manny had planned for this one.

Artemis seemed interested now, hearing that Jack had a theory about his new enemy. "It appears you are familiar with the person threatening me. Would you mind explaining what it is we are facing? It would help greatly with my plans." the boy said, making Jack nod slowly. He had to tell the kid, he just hoped that Artemis would know to stay away from Pitch. He was not someone to take on after just receiving magic. Jack knew it had taken quite some time to figure out how to use it himself, so there was no way this kid was going to be prepared after only a short time of having it. After all, if he had been chosen sooner one of the Guardians would have noticed him by now. "His name is Pitch Black, more commonly known as the boogeyman." Jack began, watching Artemis raise an eyebrow at him at the name. Jack knew it would take some time to get that through to a kid like this, but he moved on instead of trying to get the kid to believe.

"His goal is to eliminate the Guardians and destroy all the hope, wonder, dreams, and fun in the process. Without us, those things will all fade and children will be forced to live in a life of fear once more, making Pitch stronger than ever." Jack explained, but Artemis was frowning. He clearly wanted more details, but Jack had thought he said enough. "Just how does getting rid of these Guardians affect these things in people? Hope, wonder, dreams, and fun are all simple emotional states for people to be in. Killing others might bring them pain, possibly fear if they are used as an example, but it would not be permanent." Artemis inquired, making Jack realize that this kid really was clueless about what the Guardians did in the world.

"I guess they are, but without us those emotions wouldn't exist. We Guardians fight to protect those…uh….emotional states…in children. Without us, Pitch is free to do what he wants, bringing them fear through his darkness and Nightmares." Jack explained, hoping it would be enough for the kid this time. Artemis was about to reply, but his companions seemed to be getting worried at what they were hearing. "Holly, do you think Artemis is suffering from a relapse in his Atlantis Complex?" Butler inquired, making the boy frown in response. Jack wanted to know what it was, but Artemis' reply was too quick for Jack to ask any questions. "Don't be ridiculous. I am well past that disorder, having been cured quite some time ago. What have I even done recently to bring back enough guilt for a relapse?" he asked.

"Let's see, you tricked me and drugged me just before you died. Wouldn't that make most people a bit guilty, Arty?" Holly commented, rolling her eyes at the boy that seemed to look upset about her comments. "I am truly sorry for that, Captain, but you know why I had to do it. I was the only one who stood a chance of surviving against Koboi." he replied, still leaving Jack confused. Just how had this kid died anyway? It sounded like an interesting story, but he was back to focusing on Jack once more. "Perhaps this is why you are failing to stop him. Protecting things that occur naturally is rather pointless. Instead, these Guardians should focus on protecting them from Pitch directly." Artemis argued, annoying Jack. This kid really knew how to get on his nerves, almost as well as Bunny.

"Look, you haven't been a spirit for long so I get why you don't-" Jack begun, but Artemis had already interrupted him. "Spirit? Trust me, I am no spirit. I have dealt with things like them before and they are…rather unpleasant." he commented. "Trust me, kid, you are one just like the rest of us. I was in denial too when I was first chosen, constantly asking the Man in the Moon to tell me why I was here." Jack commented, making Artemis look thoughtful once more. "The Man in the Moon, this is who was responsible for my resurrection?" he asked, leaving Jack a little shocked. Even that was basic knowledge for him when he first came to, but it clearly had not been provided for Artemis.

"Just what is he planning for you?" Jack wondered, gazing up at the now dark sky. The moon had come out, shining down on all of them and leaving Artemis still waiting for more answers. "I suppose you have earned the right to be seen by my friends, Jack Frost." Artemis commented, smirking as he turned towards Butler. While his bodyguard seemed hesitant at first, it did not take long for the large man to see the skinny white-haired boy standing by Artemis. "How does this keep happening?" he asked, clearly concerned with his skills of observation. "It has nothing to do with your skill, old friend. Belief is required to see and interact with any of us, it seems." Artemis commented, looking thoughtful. "It is why you were not aware of my presence until you believed in Father Time, supposedly my new identity now that I have been revived." he added.

"Look, I get that you have a lot going on, but I need to get going. If you'd like, I could get you someplace safe to stay away from Pitch." Jack offered, watching Artemis frown slightly. He seemed to grow unfocused for a moment, staring off into space as he thought of something. His face hardened after he finished thinking, shaking his head towards Jack. "I appreciate the information, Jack Frost, however Fowl Manor has always been my home and I do not plan on letting that change any time soon." he replied calmly, but Jack could see a focused look on the kid's face. As he flew off into the sky, Jack began to wonder if the kid had what it took to survive his next encounter with Pitch. Perhaps he would fly back around occasionally, just to check in and make sure he was okay. Even if he was annoying, Jack felt a need to keep Artemis safe. Anyone who had died recently must have gone through much in their life, especially when they were as young as Artemis Fowl II.

 **Thank you all once more for your reviews! I am so glad I kept going with this story, it is slowly becoming the most reviewed story I have on this site. I find that a little surprising, considering it is the only story in its** **category. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this most recent chapter, even though there isn't a whole lot going on quite yet. As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me your thoughts!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl had wanted more from Jack Frost, but it seemed that the winter spirit was far too childlike to grasp what Artemis had been searching for. Yes, he had a name and a motive now, but Artemis had little knowledge about his enemy's capabilities. Pitch Black had an army of these Nightmares, but it seemed as if he had little else to battle with. Artemis knew he was missing something, that an enemy strong enough to create fear in any magical being had to have more of an advantage than just numbers. Perhaps he was cunning enough to make it work in his favor or he had other skills that Artemis had yet to see. Either way, Artemis needed to be prepared for anything. He was not going to let this man harm himself or his family.

"This is just too much. I really thought we were alone, but it looks like even Mud Men have found a way to get magic!" Holly was commenting, still stuck on Jack's powers. She had seen the boy fly away, though Artemis knew he could do much more. The boy had seemed intent on annoying Artemis, throwing snow at him simply for amusement. Artemis had no time for games and snow would only leave his Armani suit wet in the end.

"No, I do not believe that to be the case. Jack Frost truly seemed to believe he was a spirit of some kind. Perhaps he was correct and we simply do not know enough about spirits to know what they are capable of." Artemis argued, thinking back to Jack's words.

"Either way, I need to get back to Haven and report what has happened. Do you think you can avoid a massive disaster for the rest of the day, Mud Boy?" Holly asked, watching Artemis nod.

"I shall do my best, Captain. Good luck and do your best to find any information you can on this man known as Pitch Black." he told her, walking inside with Butler. Artemis knew that he was still invisible to his family, but perhaps that was for the best at the moment. He did not want them involved in another battle like this one. Myles and Becket had gone through enough when the Berserkers had been released. Pitch Black could very well be capable of something similar, so he was going to keep them as far away from this enemy as possible.

Holly vanished, shielding as she used her electronic wings to take off into the sky back towards the chute underground. Artemis had other things to deal with, so he hid within his study like normal, while Butler watched the boy vanish. "They still cannot see me, old friend. It would be best to leave me be and pretend to be ignorant as well." he told his bodyguard. While Butler was a bit disappointed in Artemis' decision, he honored it and left Artemis alone in his study. Within, Artemis smiled and began practicing with his new trick, freezing time. He had discovered in on the spur of the moment, but he knew it would be useful in the future. Freezing anything in place would make him capable of stopping any enemy, though using this ability seemed to drain his energy rather quickly. He could not sustain it for long, especially if he focused on more than one object. Even with practice, the drain never lessened and Artemis began to realize that perhaps this should only be used as a last resort to save someone's life.

"Perhaps I should speak with Qwan about this." Artemis commented, grimacing at the new habit he seemed to have acquired after remaining unseen for nearly a month. He thought out loud now, something that he had done to fill the space of silence that he found himself surrounded in all the time. Even so, he did need the help of the warlock to better understand the time stream. Artemis did understand a bit, considering the fact that he had traveled through time and witnessed the paradox created by Opal Koboi, but more knowledge would only help him master his magic.

As he decided to stop for the night, a shadow seemed to creep within the room, darkening the lit computer screens that always displayed various parts of the manor under surveillance. Artemis frowned as he followed the shadow, watching it grow as a laugh echoed throughout the room. "This is your new chosen one? I can't believe that someone so young was given the ultimate power, control over time itself." a voice called out. Artemis still could not see the man's face, but he could easily deterring who was here.

"Pitch Black, I presume. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." he greeted, not forgetting civility even when facing potential danger. All Artemis had to do was shout and Butler would come rushing inside. For now, though, he would cooperate with Pitch and see just what he was after.

"Really? Not quite the reaction I'm used to, but I suppose it will do for now. Tell me, Father Time, just where do you stand in this war?" he asked, while Artemis kept his face blank and neutral. He had little knowledge of this war after all, the war that must be between Pitch Black and these Guardians Jack had mentioned. While he might dislike his new name, Artemis would tolerate it for now, preferring to remain anonymous for as long as possible. Perhaps his enemy would underestimate him, without knowledge of just who he was up against.

"I suppose I would call myself a neutral party, one willing to accept the highest offer if my assistance is required." he commented, smiling softly.

"Oh? And just what is it you want, Father Time? I can't imagine you have any need of more power, not when you have been given such a gift." Pitch questioned, still keeping his form hidden in the shadows. It was rather annoying, but Artemis knew he had to accept it and continue with his plan. Playing along was beginning to remind Artemis of his younger self, the version of him that had been far too obsessed with gold to consider the comfort of others. If he continued on this path, he would struggle to hold on to his new morals, but he needed to be on the inside to determine his enemy's plans.

 _"_ _Aurum potestas est_. My family motto, one I adhere to with a passion. For we are nothing without gold, Mr. Black, and gold is what gives us true power." Artemis stated, feeling cold inside. He had to freeze his emotions once more, cut himself off if he was going to succeed.

Pitch chuckled, the noise echoing around Artemis' study. "You seem to be a rather smart one, compared to the others I've met. I value that in an ally and when I value something, I will do anything to make it mine." he announced, his face suddenly appearing in front of Artemis. He recognized the face, the image he had constantly seen in his visions. Pitch Black was the enemy that could plunge this world into darkness, both above and below ground. If he wasn't careful, this man could cause disasters everywhere on the planet. It was why Artemis knew he had to trick this man, become a spy for the Guardians that seemed to be doing such a poor job of keeping an eye on the Nightmare King.

"Well, there is a reason I was known as a criminal mastermind in my last life." Artemis commented, watching Pitch grin in the darkness of his room.

"Criminal? Well, aren't you special. This is working out even better than I had hoped." Pitch commented, while Artemis simply stared back at him.

"As I said, my services are not free. If you wish to have my aid, you know what it is I want." Artemis said coldly, remaining calm as Pitch began to study him with a serious expression.

"Strange, I may know what you want but I cannot sense your fears. I always know people's fears, regardless of how small they may be." he whispered, walking around Artemis where he sat in his swivel chair. It took quite some effort for the boy to remain still and let Pitch stroke his hair as he walked by. He disliked this role immensely, but he was growing used to it the longer he played it. After all, he may have actually done something like this not too long ago.

"When you are aware of all possible futures, fear becomes irrelevant. I know what path to take to avoid making them a reality. Should one be a certain outcome regardless of my actions, it is pointless to fear the result in the end." Artemis said, watching his golden eyes blink in surprise.

"Marvelous! You truly are a brilliant child. I promise you, Father Time, you shall have all the gold in the world once I am done taking out the Guardians. Help me in this task and let us rid the world of their presence once and for all." Pitch said, holding out his hand as an offer.

Artemis paused for a moment, knowing that there would be no turning back after this moment. He had seen this meeting happening, and Artemis knew that there would be no avoiding it. Running would have left Pitch alone with his brothers, something Artemis would never allow. Now, he could refuse and stay here, making a permanent enemy of Pitch Black. If he accepted, Artemis had the chance to learn so much more about his new enemy. Perhaps it was time to take the old saying to heart and truly know his enemy before the battle. Keeping his face blank of emotion, Artemis stood up and shook Pitch's hand. "Then we have a deal, Mr. Black. Just know that if you fail to deliver, I will personally destroy you, regardless of what the Guardians desire." he threatened, watching the man's golden eyes gleam in the darkness.

"I would expect nothing less, friend. Let us be off, where we can discuss the weaknesses of the Guardians and bring fear to children all around the world." With that, Pitch grabbed Artemis' hand, pulling him out the window and onto a cloud of dark sand. They flew off, with Artemis glancing back at the fading manor, wondering how Butler would handle his disappearance once more.

 **Thank you for all the reviews and also to anyone new reading through this story! I appreciate the correction on my grammar, I try my best to follow the rules of grammar and spelling, but there are things that I miss, especially since most of my writing has been essays for school. I will keep that in mind as I keep writing this story and if I have time, I will go back and correct it in previous chapters. As always, feel free to leave me your thoughts in a review! If you notice something wrong (spelling, grammar, characterization, etc.), feel free to point it out, I won't be offended.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Jack Frost was back at the Pole, bringing Tooth news of what he had discovered. Not only was Pitch searching for allies, a powerful new spirit had been chosen by Manny. This was big news for all of them and they needed to make sure Pitch didn't get his hands on this new ally. It did not take long for him to get inside, only to stare and barely contain his laughter at what he saw inside. He was used to seeing toys everywhere, colored red and green for christmas and made specifically for each child. Today, while things might be a bit cleaner than they had been a while ago, nothing seemed to look quite right. There were eggs sitting on the tables, made of plastic, but still definitely an Easter themed present considering that this was for christmas. Bunnies were another common theme, stuffed or crafted from clay, they spread across all the tables while Bunny gave the yetis instructions on how to add to their design.

"Really? This is what you came up with…for christmas?" Jack questioned, forgetting the reason for his visit temporarily. Bunny glared at him, but got straight back to work. "Impressive, ignoring my taunts. You are almost as calm as North would be." Jack commented, his face falling at his own joke. He hadn't meant to be so light about his missing friend, but now that he had said it he couldn't take it back.

"Get off my back, you rascal. Try bugging Tooth for a change." he replied, focusing on painting an egg of his own. With a sigh, Jack decided he was right and he took off towards the upper floor, where Tooth would be. She was likely overseeing things from North's office, which he walked into with a sense of nostalgia. This was where he had first saw the truth behind North, where he learned about how important his center could be.

"Jack! It's good to see you! Did you find Pitch?" she asked, immediately assuming that was the reason he had returned. Jack rubbed the back of his head, wondering if he had overreacted this time. Maybe, but he was already here anyway.

"Uh, not exactly. I found someone else, though, a—" Jack began, only to be cut off by Bunny barging into the room.

"Get out here quick, mates. Manny is trying to give us a message." he announced, making Tooth fly out immediately, shoving Jack aside as she did so. She was way too excited over this, but Jack simply shook his head and flew after her, landing on the floor where the moon was shining down on them.

"Sandy really should be here." Tooth commented, glancing towards the lever that would illuminate the sky, but it was a bit late to bring him here. Bunny and Tooth gasped at what was happening, a pedestal rising from the ground where the moon was shining.

"Uh, guys? Care to explain why this is so important?" Jack asked, not understanding what it meant. He was still new and he didn't understand why this was so shocking.

"He's choosing a new Guardian! Oh, maybe the leprechaun will finally join us!" Tooth said cheerfully, but Jack had a feeling he already knew who this Guardian would be. A young boy, with raven black hair and a creepy vampiric smile.

Almost echoing the image of his head, a figure appeared above the stone on the pedestal, tinted blue but still obviously the spirit Jack had just discovered. "Who is this kid?" Bunny asked, confused at the figure he saw. Tooth was frowning as well, just as lost about who it was.

"I..don't know. Maybe I should check back at the Tooth Palace, I'm certain I have his teeth there." she commented, getting ready to fly off before Jack grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Wait, I know who it is." Jack announced, frowning slightly. "He's new, probably only just chosen to get his powers from what I saw." Jack added, watching the others blink in surprise.

"No, that can't be. Manny wouldn't send someone that young to fight against Pitch…" Tooth commented, looking stunned and afraid for the boy. Bunny looked annoyed, glaring at the image in the picture.

"If he's that new, we're better off without him. I can handle Pitch on my own if I have to." he argued, but Jack sighed, knowing he would have to bring him in.

"I've heard him use two names, one I'm guessing is his name before he was chosen." Jack began, watching them listen to his story. "The other name…well he might be stronger than we think. He claims to be Father Time." Jack told them, wondering just what this kid was capable of. Control over time was unstable, a gift that could so easily be abused. Anyone gifted with that had to be trusted above anyone else, though Jack was still worried about being wrong with the kid.

"Time? Manny would never give anyone power that strong, it corrupts and is so easy to abuse." Tooth commented, voicing his thoughts.

"I know and if I hadn't seen it for myself, I would have agreed with you." Jack told her, thinking back to how the Nightmares had frozen during his battle. That had been the kid's power, as had the reversal of his snowballs during their snow ball fight.

"Well, just who was the special kid chosen to have so much power?" Bunny asked, able to see the youth of this person even in the projection that had faded.

"Artemis Fowl—" Jack began, about to add in that he was the second but he could see looks of horror on both of their faces already.

"Fowl? That family is filled with nothing but liars and criminals!" Bunny claimed, looking even angrier than before. Jack frowned, wondering why he hadn't heard of this before.

"It wasn't really important, Jack, but the Fowls are well known, even to us. They aren't exactly the nicest people, though they do have beautiful teeth." she added, her eyes going dreamy for a second before she focused once more.

"Creepy, vampire teeth is more like it." Jack commented, thinking back to the kid's smile. Bunny actually grinned back at him, seeming to agree with his comment.

"Good one, mate, but we still need to bring the kid in. It's what North would want us to do." Bunny commented, sighing and backing away.

Jack nodded, getting ready to fly off before deciding that they had to hear the rest of it. "Oh, one more thing. Pitch already knows about the kid." Jack told them, watching them stare at Jack in shock.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place, mate?" Bunny said angrily, while Jack backed away, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, no harm done! I stopped by because I saw the Nightmares, going after the kid. I saved him, talked with him a bit, then flew right back here to tell you what I saw." Jack argued, swinging his staff slightly as he finished. He froze a small section of the wall he walked by, frost creeping up towards the ceiling from where his staff touched.

"Guys, we don't have time for this! Jack, go find this new Guardian and bring him here. We can protect him from Pitch while giving him a warm welcome to our family!" Tooth said cheerfully, but Jack was beginning to wonder if it would be possible. He had planned on bringing the kid here earlier, but he had not seemed interested in the slightest. Something had made the kid want to stay home, something that he did not wish to share with Jack.

"That isn't going to be as easy as you think, Tooth. I offered to take him here and he refused." Jack replied, his staff now swung over his shoulder. The elves were glaring at him as they tried to break the ice off of the wall, but Jack ignored them.

Bunny snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We could just do the same thing we did with you. I bet the yetis would love a break from all this painting." he suggested, while Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that'll get him to warm up to us. Nothing like being thrown in a sack and tossed through a portal, right?" he said, his voice filled with heavy sarcasm. Jack had hated it himself, but for some reason the Guardians still seemed to think it was a good idea.

"Jack, please. We need him here. Without North, we need someone's help, someone who can help lead us. I am trying as hard as I can, but none of us can replace him. Perhaps this boy can help. After all, you didn't want to be a Guardian when you were first chosen. All it took was a little push to show you that you were meant for this job." Tooth said softly, her violet eyes gazing up at Jack's face.

Jack sighed, realizing that he would not be getting out of this anytime soon. It looked like he would be stuck with another trip to Ireland today, this time trying to convince a kid to come back with him. This was going to be a bit of a challenge, especially if Artemis was still as reluctant as before. "Alright, I'll talk to him. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. I am not going to force the kid to come here. That would make us like Pitch, something I will never let happen." Jack said, daring anyone to challenge him. None of them did, but Tooth held something out to him in response. It was one of North's globes, one that he had probably hidden within the workshop for later use.

"Thank you, Jack. This should make it easier to bring him back. I know North wouldn't mind, at least not this time." she said, as Jack reached out and took the globe. He shoved it into his pocket, jumping and taking off for Fowl Manor.

The sun was rising when Jack arrived, landing outside the large house for a moment. "I really need to find a place like this for myself." Jack commented, grinning up at the castle-like structure. He flew up one more, glancing inside the windows for any sign of Artemis. "You in this one? No…how about this room?" Jack murmured as he flew around the house. This seemed to be a downside to the mansion. It was taking forever for Jack to check all of the windows, but he couldn't stop now.

"Can I help you with something?" a voice called out, making Jack glance towards the ground. The large bodyguard was standing there, looking rather threatening even to an immortal like Jack. He decided it might be a good idea to land and talk with this man for a bit, if Jack wanted to stay alive for now.

"Uh, maybe? I was looking for Artemis." Jack commented, staying prepared to fly away at any second. This guy seriously made Jack feel like he was tiny, towering over the winter spirit even more than anyone else he had ever met. The bodyguard glanced around for a moment, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Master Artemis is busy at the moment." he replied swiftly, making Jack frown. The bodyguard was clearly worried, but he was ignoring Jack at the moment and clearly lying about the kid.

"So am I. I am busy trying to find a kid that may or may not be the key to protecting the world from all out disaster and a repeat of the Dark Ages." he replied, rolling his eyes at Butler as the bodyguard stared at the winter spirit in shock.

"Artemis has gone through enough already. He does not need another war to fight, not when he has already lost so much in his life." Butler argued, his gaze moving around the yard once more. Jack wanted to know what he was looking for, but he decided it might be better to just leave it alone for now.

"We all lost a lot, but you learn to deal with it. Trust me, I know what this kid is going through. He's lucky that someone believed in him so quickly…" Jack commented, trailing off as he thought about his own first moments as a spirit. They had been so fun, filled with joy until he realized the truth about what he was. No one could see him and that had nearly broken him completely. Even now, Jack could not ignore how lonely he felt, regardless of how many people he met or interacted with. The feeling just wouldn't fade completely, not after three hundred years of no interaction with the world.

"I believe it is time for you to leave now, Mr. Frost. Master Fowl is not available to be seen at the moment and I will not allow you to bring harm to him." Butler said, his voice turning slightly threatening this time. Jack backed away, holding his hands up as he did so.

"Calm down, big guy, I'm not going to hurt him. I _protect_ children. That's kind of in the job description." Jack argued, watching the bodyguard frown but still refuse to drop his guard. Just as Jack was about to add something more, the girl from before appeared, this time actually flying down from the sky and landing near Butler. Jack could see the strange contraption on her back, clearly what gave her the ability to fly. Jack wanted to get one for Jaimie. It would be awesome to fly around with the kid, throwing snowballs at anyone they passed and laughing as the victims searched for the culprit.

"I can't find him anywhere! I leave for just one day and Artemis already goes and-" Holly began, stopping when she noticed that the white haired boy from the other day was here. Jack gave her a small wave, a grin on his face as he recognized her.

"What has the kid done now?" Jack asked, watching the two in front of him share a look. They both seemed hesitant to trust Jack, but the winter spirit was very persistent when he wanted to know something.

"Artemis is gone." Butler said after a few moments, his face grave as he turned towards Holly once more. Jack's smile faded, realizing just what this could mean. Pitch had come while the kid was alone, overtaking him with ease. Jack needed to find Artemis before it was too late, before all the Guardians and the children of the world fell into darkness and fear once more.

 **So, no new reviews to reply to since last time. I hope everyone had a nice spring break, though! I spent most of my time working, so not much fun for me, but I imagine plenty of people enjoyed their own little vacations. Hope you are getting excited now, things are getting a bit more intense and Artemis has been chosen to be a Guardian. Anyone want to try predicting what happens next? I'm not giving out any spoilers, but I'm curious to see what you guys think will happen in the story.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading, I really appreciate all the support I get on this site. Review if you have a comment or question about the story so far!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Artemis Fowl or Rise of the Guardians

Artemis Fowl was staring around at Pitch's home in distaste. He was used to grander locations, places that gave him comfort to stay in, unlike this dark place he found himself in now. The entire area screamed of danger, with narrow paths that were easy to walk off of, falling into a dark nothingness below. Surely there was something eventually to break the fall, but the lighting and distance from this height made it nearly impossible to see. As Artemis followed Pitch, he began to wonder if he should have simply stayed at home. At least there he would have the comforts of knowing his family was near, even if he would lack the knowledge he needed to understand this enemy.

"Welcome to my lair, Father Time." Pitch said grandly, spreading his arms wide as they came to a more open room. While the lighting was still terrible, Artemis could see that the stone walls and floors were completely white. Behind Pitch was a massive globe, with lights spread across the surface. It rotated slowly as Artemis stared at it, showing how far the lights spread out. They had to symbolize something, though he had yet to determine what it was.

"Shall we get down to business, Mr. Black?" Artemis suggested, not wanting to insult this man by giving any of his thoughts on this place. Pitch chuckled softly, shaking his head at Artemis.

"In a hurry, are we? Well, I suppose we shall get to work then. Tell me, what do you know of the Guardians?" Pitch asked, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. Artemis kept his expression neutral, glancing at the globe as he spoke.

"Very little, however I do intend on rectifying that soon enough." Artemis replied, walking forward and frowning as he tried to determine the power source for the lights. It did not appear to have any wiring around the globe, and the object itself seemed hollow. He could see small gaps between the metal of the globe, giving him a brief glance into the empty insides of the globe.

"Allow me to assist in your education, Father Time. There are five Guardians in this world, all of which rely on the belief of children to stay in existence. Without belief, they will vanish from existence completely." he began, making Artemis stop for a moment. Belief appeared to be a stronger force than he first realized, in the world of magic at least. He would need to learn more about it if he wanted to keep these beings alive.

"That is exactly what we are after, for once they are gone, my reign will begin once more." Pitch said gleefully, his voice sounding ominous. Artemis was beginning to realize that this guy was almost as crazy as Opal had been, but his insanity was lessened by his years of experience. Artemis could tell that he had been planning this out for many years, searching for a way to gain power once more.

"I see. Just how does one destroy this belief, then?" Artemis inquired, knowing he still had a part to play while in the presence of Pitch. Pitch smiled behind Artemis, his hands resting on the young boy's shoulders.

"Simply take away what they protect in children, of course. Fear, that is an excellent weapon to make them forget about their hope and wonder in the world." he whispered.

Artemis frowned, still not understanding their obsession with emotions. They depended on belief more than anything else. After a few moments of thinking on this, Artemis began to realize why this obsession was there. By gaining a common emotion to associate with themselves, it would help further belief in the world. Children would associate wonder with the Guardian that supposedly protected this emotion in children. It was impressive that they had thought of using such a tool, but Pitch seemed intent on destroying it. Perhaps there was another way to keep their belief running strong in this world. Artemis simply had to figure that out and then the Guardians would have no need to worry over Pitch's actions.

"So, our goal is to spread fear across the world then?" Artemis asked once more, keeping his face blank as he stared at the spinning globe.

"That is the final stage, yes. First, we must make sure every single light on that globe is snuffed out of existence. We cannot let a single believer remain before shaping this world into one where everything is pitch black." he said eagerly, in a voice that would have sent shivers through a normal person.

"What are their capabilities? I must know what we are up against if I am to properly come up with a plan." Artemis asked, thinking of these Guardians that kept being mentioned. When Pitch replied, the hatred and distaste in his voice was obvious, but Artemis ignored it and focused on the facts he was being given.

"North, the Guardian of Wonder, is the only one you do not have to worry about. I have captured him and he is safely tucked away within this place, where no one will ever find him. E. Aster Bunnymond, the Guardian of Hope, is known for fighting with boomerangs, egg bombs, and even his own fists if necessary. Toothiana, Guardian of Memories, is a rather weak one, only an issue due to her powers of flight and the sheer number of mini fairies that aid her. The Sandman, Guardian of Dreams, is their strongest member, able to shape his dream sand into any form he pleases and wield it as a weapon at any time. Finally, we have the troublesome winter spirit, Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun." Pitch began, his voice growing even more hateful as he mentioned this last name. "He surprised me last time, but I will not let him win again. The boy will regret not taking my offer when he had the chance." he added.

Artemis realized that this man might have a bit of bias about these beings, but he had nothing else to work with. Based on their names and the folklore he seemed to be dealing with, Artemis could deduce just who these beings were meant to be according to human myths. North, while a bit of a strange name, could reference the North Pole which would make him Santa Claus. It was strange, since Artemis had been so sure that the belief in that being had resulted from the actions of a member of the People. Perhaps both had resulted in the belief in him, but now was not the time to investigate the true origin of his myth. E. Aster Bunnymond had the word Easter right in the name, making that Guardian the Easter Bunny. While the traditional concept of that character did not seem very intimidating, it was clear that these Guardians had put up quite a bit of fight before so the common belief about the cute little rabbit must be incorrect. Toothiana was the tooth fairy, and based on Pitch's story, she had plenty of others around to assist her in her job. It would make sense, considering the amount of people in the world that were constantly losing teeth for some reason or another.

The final two were rather obvious, though Jack Frost's name surprised him for a moment. The young boy had not seemed to be much of a fighter, more of a light-hearted kid who wanted to play games. In some ways, he reminded Artemis of Becket, always energetic and looking for fun. Perhaps that was why he was associated with fun in his title. "I see. I must have a few moments alone to come up with a plan." Artemis replied, letting himself smile slightly. Pitch believed that this Guardian of Wonder was no issue, while he was trapped here. Perhaps Artemis could locate him and free the man, giving the Guardians a bit more of an edge in this war. The issue would be in being discreet about it, though Artemis was fairly certain that he could come up with a way to remain hidden here.

"Plan? You do realize that I already have one set in motion. What I need from you is your power. Send me back, to the time when the Guardians first came to power. There, I can stop them once and for all." he declared, glaring at the boy that did not seem to understand. Artemis shook his head, sighing at the man in front of him.

"You clearly do not understand the complexities involved in time travel. If you did, you would already know that such a plan is doomed to fail." he announced cryptically, not bothering to explain why.

"And you do? I know for a fact that you have only been a spirit for a month, maybe a little longer. Just how did you learn so much about it in such a short time?" Pitch asked, clearly doubting the boy's power.

Artemis closed his eyes, brushing away a bit of stray hair that had fallen into his face. He did not intend on explaining any of this to Pitch, not when it was a potential weapon to be used in the future. Perhaps time travel could be the key to stopping this man, but it would be dangerous. He had to make sure that he would not create another paradox, like he had with Opal. After a few moments of thought, he shook his head and sighed. This was going to be a bit more complicated than he thought it would be. "One can do much in a short period of time, if one simply puts their mind to it." he replied, realizing Pitch was not going to leave him alone with his thoughts.

"We are allies, boy, it would be wise of you to answer my questions and follow my lead." Pitch said, anger dripping into his voice. Artemis was irritated however, not willing to follow orders from this man that clearly had failed in his plans before. While Artemis may have setbacks and errors from his plans, they never failed.

"If you wish for me to follow your lead, you must convince me of its infallibility. I do not take part in flawed plans, Mr. Black, that is why I always am the mastermind behind any operation." he replied turning around and facing the nightmare king as he spoke.

Pitch seemed to be having issues when dealing with Artemis, but his response was cut off as one of his nightmares flew into the room. Pitch walked over to it, stroking its neck to calm it down as he spoke. "There, there. Now, tell me what you saw." Pitch said, his eyes gleaming as he clutched the creature close. His eyes closed and after a brief moment, he seemed to smile. "Ah, Jack Frost. Seems like you were foolish enough to go off on your own, even after my warning. You will be the next to fall." he announced, preparing to leave. Artemis sighed, shaking his head at Pitch.

"Do not blame me when your plan fails once more, Mr. Black. You were the one who refused to let me assist you." he called out, watching Pitch ignore him and leave, vanishing into the shadows of this place.

With Pitch gone, Artemis now had the perfect opportunity to search for the missing Guardian of Wonder. He walked away from the globe, smiling as he adjusted the settings on the modified LEP headgear he had on. Infrared sensors should aid him in this case. Even if this individual required belief to be seen, they still should have a different heat signature than the surrounding area. Just to check his theory, Artemis even held his own hand out in front of his vision, watching it create a flash of red in his vision. Clearly it was working, so all he had to do was look for an area warmer than the rest of this place.

Artemis gazed around for a moment, smiling when he found a distant heat signature. Switching his vision back to the normal shield filter setting, he began to walk towards the place where the individual had been spotted. This place had terrible security it seemed, nothing outside of those nightmares he seemed to use as an army. There did not appear to be any cameras, sensors, or even locks anywhere in this place. It was just sad to see how much faith this man put into his own strength. Overestimating oneself was one of the easiest ways to lose any war.

Artemis made sure to memorize the path he took, each turn leading him closer to the heat signature he found earlier. Occasionally, he would stop and switch back over to infrared to make sure he was going the right direction before moving on. Any nightmare he passed by received a dose of Artemis' newfound magic, rewinding the flow of time on them and forcing them to dissolve in an instant, as if they had never even existed. If there had been more of them, Artemis may have struggled from the overuse of his power, but with so few it was easy to get through this place unseen by any of Pitch's minions.

Eventually, Artemis found himself standing in front of a cage, with a large man sitting down inside. His long white beard and large stomach resembled the common theories about the myth, but the tattoos on his arms surely did not. He seemed far more intimidating than jolly, but Artemis knew that it was very easy for humans to be wrong about myths such as this. "There you are. You are North, I presume?" Artemis inquired, watching the man glance up in surprise.

"You are not Pitch." he replied, frowning slightly while Artemis smiled and shook his head at the man.

"Indeed I am not. Pitch is off in search of a certain winter spirit, so I suggest you take this chance and leave this place." Artemis commented, studying the lock on the cage for a moment. It was the first type of security he had seen in this place, but it was still so easy to break into. "This is just disappointing. I was expecting a bit more of a challenge from you, Pitch Black." Artemis commented, before grimacing as he realized he was going back to his new habit of speaking to himself.

"No, you mustn't. Pitch will not forgive you for freeing me, child." North said, getting up and walking over to Artemis. None of these Guardians seemed to realize that Artemis was no regular boy.

"Ah, but he will never know that it was I who freed you. I believe I saw one by the name of Aster Bunnymond arriving, and here I was, alone and helpless to stop him." Fowl said with a grin, finishing picking the lock. He had taken a small wire out of the helmet he was wearing, using it to force the lock open before putting it back in place and returning the headgear to its proper place on his head.

North was staring at the boy in surprise, clearly not expecting such a plan from him. "Here comes the challenging part. I am supposed to be his ally, so I must have some form of injury to show from my battle." Artemis commented, glancing at the man in front of him with a sigh. "There is no other option. You must force me to go unconscious, before you leave. I know that I do not stand a chance against Pitch on my own, not without a proper plan in place." he commented, watching North shake his head in response.

"That is not how we do things. I protect children and I will not harm you." North argued, but Artemis would not accept this.

"Perhaps you have another method then? A plan that will not reveal my betrayal towards Pitch?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow at North.

"Oh, idea! I borrowed from Sandy, to get new inspiration for toys for christmas!" he announced, pulling a bag out from his belt. Artemis frowned at what he saw inside, nothing but golden sand. "Tell Pitch that Sandy attacked, not Bunny. Sweet dreams, and thank you for your help. We will get you out of here one day, uh…" he trailed off, realizing he did not know the child's name. Artemis smiled at him, deciding that this man could be trusted unlike Pitch.

"Artemis Fowl II, heir to the Fowl Empire." he announced, watching North frown in response.

"Really? Not quite what I was expecting from you…" he murmured, before shrugging and throwing a handful of sand at Artemis. The young genius blinked a few times, surprised that the dust did not irritate him in any way. Instead, it made him feel calm, tired, in need of a good nap. He smiled as he collapsed, a genuine smile on his face as his eyes closed and his mind was lost to nothing but good dreams.

 **Alright, I got some great news today and I am in a good mood now! What better way to celebrate than by posting a new chapter? Thank you for your reviews, I hope you enjoy the tension between Pitch and Artemis right now. Neither of them like following orders, let's see who ends up in charge of this little operation ;) . Also, we have North freed and of course, Pitch isn't going to like that when he gets back.**

 **Anyway, don't worry if you can't review each chapter. I know I'm guilty of reviewing sporadically to stories I read (though I do my best to leave at least one review for each story), though I do appreciate each review left by all of you. Once again, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Artemis Fowl or Rise of the Guardians

Jack Frost was trying to figure out what had happened. The girl was still a mystery to him, but he didn't bother to ask when they led the winter spirit to Artemis' room in the manor. "He is clearly like Artemis, so maybe he can figure out what happened." Holly had suggested, though Butler looked unconvinced. Jack could not see anything that showed signs of some kind of struggle. The room was perfectly intact, organized and showing signs of some kind of strange interest in technology. Objects that Jack had never even seen were spread across a table, either finished or in the process of being built. Next to it, was a large computer screen sitting on a desk, currently turned off with the chair pulled out, turned and facing towards the door.

"Is this really what that kid plays with? He really needs to learn more about how to have fun." Jack commented, picking up an object at random only to have it pulled from his hands by the small female in the room.

"Don't touch that! This is sensitive equipment, I thought that the LEP-" she cut herself off, glaring at Butler for a moment who simply shrugged.

"Artemis always has a plan, Holly, even you know that." he explained. Jack was confused about what was wrong, but he didn't bother to ask, his gaze turning towards the window. It was still closed, locked even, so that couldn't have been used for an entry point unless it was someone magical, like Pitch.

Jack knelt down by the window sill, running his hand across it to see if there was anything there to tell him that Pitch was here. If he was, the lack of a struggle was far more concerning than before. Either Artemis had been asleep when he was found, or he had agreed to help Pitch Black, falling for one of the nightmare king's deceptive promises. He lifted his hand, frowning as he saw the traces of black sand clinging to his fingers. "Oh no." he whispered, dusting it off and turning back towards the others who had noticed his change in attitude.

"What did you find?" Butler asked, clearly not willing to let Jack go without an answer.

Before Jack could respond, he heard a dark laugh echo throughout the room, one that was all too familiar to the winter spirit. He clutched his staff tighter, holding it ready for battle as soon as Pitch showed his face. "Even though they said you would be here, I didn't believe them. I couldn't believe that any of you would be this…stupid. Going off alone, well I suppose that does sound like you, Frost." Pitch commented, his shadow showing on the wall in front of Jack. The winter spirit knew that it wasn't really his enemy, but he was angry and wanted to know what had happened. He swung his staff towards the shadow, watching it vanish before Jack even touched it.

"Angry are we? Just what have I done this time, Jack?" Pitch asked, still not showing himself.

"I don't like this. I can't seem to sense him anywhere." Holly whispered, her neutrino pulled out and ready to fire. Butler nodded in agreement, holding his gun ready to fire as well, but unable to see the target.

"Where is he? What have you done with him?" Jack demanded, knowing that Pitch was somehow involved.

"Oh, are you talking about Father Time? Such a smart young boy, knowing that he could only win by my side. With power like his, none of you will stand a chance." Pitch commented, his voice echoing around the room.

It was clear that his words angered Butler and Holly, but Jack felt afraid. He had seen the kid's power and he knew that it was nothing the Guardians were prepared for. Even if they found a weakness to it, it could very well be too late to stop him. "He would never help someone like you!" Holly yelled, firing at the wall in desperation. Pitch only laughed again, clearly amused with her.

"Such a strange young girl, with so many strange fears. Afraid of being discovered, that is one that I have not seen yet. You want to remain hidden, tied to the shadows where no one can see you. Well, I have to say that I am not in agreement with you, little girl. I want to be seen, to be believed in once more." Pitch said, finally showing himself and standing in the center of the room.

"Don't listen to him! This is how he wins, Holly. Stay calm, and focus on something else." Jack said, trying to think of a distraction. Fun was always his way out, but he had so little to work with in this room. Also, these were adults, not children, so it could be a bit different entertaining them than it would be for a child.

"Enough, Frost! I am speaking with the girl. Now, where was I? Oh yes, the even better question for you. Why are you even trying to save this boy? You know that you fear him, fear for what he might do in the future and how he could go back to what he once was. Why rescue a boy that has so much potential…for darkness?" Pitch continued, watching as Holly began to waver slightly.

"I think you've said plenty, Pitch, and it is time for you to get out." Jack announced, sending a blast of ice towards him. A wave of black sand rose to collide with it, creating a haze of frost and sand throughout the room. Butler rose his gun as it began to settle, firing towards the dark figure he could see in the distance. Jack heard a shocked gasp as the bullet hit Pitch, his hand clutching his shoulder as his yellow eyes glared at the bodyguard.

"I will be back for you, Frost. The Guardians will not last forever and I will be feared throughout the world once more." he announced, disappearing into a cloud of darkness.

"Holly, are you alright?" Butler asked, watching the girl shake slightly. Jack saw her reaction as well, getting an idea to help her calm down slightly.

"That's how Pitch operates. He plays with your fears, using them against you. The best way to forget about it is to have a little fun instead." Jack commented, creating a small snowflake in his hand and blowing it towards the girl. She blinked in surprise as it landed on her nose, before a smile began to spread across her face.

"You are going to regret that, Mud Boy." she said cheerfully, watching as more snow appeared in the room, building up on the ground. Jack laughed, crouching down and waiting for her to make the first move.

"Holly?" Butler said questioningly, not understanding her strange behavior as she threw a handful of snow at the winter spirit.

Jack flew into the air, dodging it with ease. "Gotta try better than that, Holly. Try dodging this one!" Jack cheered, throwing more snow at her. She was so small though, making her a harder target than he first thought she would be. She rolled out of the way with ease, getting up and retaliating quicker than any kid he played with.

"Now that's more like it!" Jack cheered, barely managing to dodger her quick throw. With a smile on her face, she made another snowball and threw this one at Butler, who blinked in surprise and simply shook off the snow. "Come on, big guy, join in the fun!" Jack said, landing in front of him and watching the bodyguard frown slightly.

"Artemis is in danger, how can either of you stand there and play games?" he asked, making Holly's smile fade along with Jack's.

"Look, I know that this looks bad, but we'll figure something out." Jack said, trying to find the positive in this. Artemis Fowl, the kid that had total control over time, was helping Pitch. What if the kid thought that sending Pitch back in time was the solution? With knowledge on how the Guardians would react, Pitch could very well win that battle with ease.

"Things look bad…this had got to be part of his plan. Trust me, whenever Artemis has an idea, disaster seems to follow." Holly commented, seeming to calm down slightly.

"Uh, what plan?" Jack asked, feeling lost as to what was going on.

"Master Artemis never reveals his plan until the time is right." Butler replied, glancing over at Holly who was shaking her head.

"That stupid Mud Boy, getting involved in another magical battle. Dealing with Opal and the Berserkers was bad enough, now he has to get involved in something that even we have never heard of?" Holly commented, watching Jack only stare at them in even more confusion.

"I believe it may be time to give our friend a bit of an explanation, Captain. He does not seem to be aware of the People." Butler added, noticing Jack's reaction.

"I'm good, really. I probably shouldn't get involved in…whatever this is." Jack commented, realizing that it had something to do with the girl's strange appearance.

Her gaze seemed to stare into him, making him notice something strange about her that he should have seen sooner. One of her eyes was blue and the other was hazel, something he had never seen before. Her eyes were judging him, debating whether or not he could hear the truth. After a few moments, she sighed and nodded, sitting down on the floor and patting the ground to tell Jack to do the same. He simply crouched, not bothering to sit completely. "Alright, Mud Boy, listen up. You are about to join a very exclusive club and if you reveal this information to anyone, not only will I blast you with my neutrino, Foaly will wipe your mind and the minds of anyone you talked with. Below ground, there lives an entirely different race than what you know of. We call ourselves the People, but to humans like you, we are known as fairies."

 **Sorry, a bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I've been a bit busy! I'm starting a new job this week (Third job, along with classes, yikes!), so I'm not going to have as much time to write. As stated before, I promise to see this story to its end, though updates might come a bit more sporadically than before.**

 **Thank you for the review, Lucifer's711! To be honest, I started writing this as a challenge to myself. I simply wanted to try combining two fandoms that seemed quite unrelated, and this was the result. I wasn't even planning on posting it, but once I got a few chapters in, I decided I agreed with you and that it was much better than I expected it to be. I'm really glad that I've gotten this far, I love seeing how many of you read this and reading all of your feedback on this story!**

 **So, now Jack is learning more about the People, and they know that Pitch has Artemis. What are your thoughts? Do you think you know what will happen next? Feel free to leave any feedback or predictions in a review, I love hearing from all of you!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl.

North now felt as if he owed the Irish boy that had rescued him. He recognized the name, the child that held the record for being the naughtiest child he had watched over. While Frost may have been on the list more times than anyone, even the winter spirit had not done as many troublesome things as the young Fowl. The boy never believed in the Guardians and was always up to some kind of trouble. Regardless, the boy had just rescued North and showed that he did have belief within him, something North had never expected. Just this once, North felt like making an exception for the young Fowl. He was going to leave the boy a gift in his house, so that the boy would have something to look forward to when he returned home. That was why he was at Fowl Manor now, glad that he always had a spare storage of globes with him. Something about Pitch's lair had prevented them from functioning, but once he was outside he had no issues traveling like he used to.

"Never thought I'd be delivering presents here." North commented with a chuckle. This entire family had a reputation for being naughty, even when they grew up. They would steal and cheat their way into wealth, something that was not approved of in anyone's mind. North pulled out the gift he had in mind, something that the child could play with for once. He had seen that Artemis struggled with enjoying himself, always too focused on scheming and filling his mind with knowledge. Perhaps a toy could change that, a toy like the small red robot in his hands. The yetis had prepared plenty of extras this year, knowing that many young boys enjoyed toys such as this one.

North snuck through the house with ease, not surprised when the two young children of the Fowl family ran through him. None of this family had ever believed, always too focused on facts and money to dream or hope for the existence of magic. "Now, where is the boy's room?" North asked himself, walking through the house and opening doors at random. This would take some time, considering the size of the house. Eventually, he opened one that made his eyes widen in surprise, seeing Jack Frost inside with one of the largest men North had ever seen and a tiny little girl.

The girl seemed to have just finished talking and Jack was staring at her with wide eyes, not having even noticed that the door opened. The large man had noticed though, his eyes turning swiftly towards the door and searching for potential dangers. "Artemis hasn't invited anyone else from Haven, has he?" Butler asked, waiting for Holly to answer and leaving North confused. It was rare that he heard a city named that he didn't recognize, but the girl seemed to know where this was.

"No, he still has everyone else banned from entry. Why?" Holly asked, turning towards the bodyguard. Jack had just looked up as well, a grin forming on his face as he flew over towards North and throw his arms around him.

"North! You're alive!" Jack cheered, while North simply chuckled in response.

"Ah, Jack. Is good to see you, who are your friends?" he asked, watching Jack step back slightly and glance back at the other two in the room.

"Oh, right. North, meet Holly and Butler. Butler and Holly, I'd like to introduce you to North, more commonly known as Santa Claus." Jack commented, watching them blink in surprise.

"Santa? I thought that-" Holly began, but Butler nudged her gently as he saw the man in front of them. "Right, never mind." she commented, frowning slightly as she stared at the Guardian of Wonder.

"What are you even doing here?" Jack asked, making North sigh. He set the toy down on the desk, by what looked to be a bunch of other strange contraptions. "I misjudged the child that lives here and I thought I'd bring him a present to make up for it." he explained, sitting down in the chair by the desk. Jack blinked in surprise a few times, clearly not expecting him to respond this way.

"Wait, you've seen Artemis? What did he do?" Jack asked, realizing what it meant. North nodded, knowing that it would bring these people worry if they knew the boy. He was trapped by Pitch for now, but the Guardians would free him. North would not allow Pitch to keep a child trapped for long.

"He rescued me from my prison. I do not know how he got into Pitch's lair, but the boy was able to break through all the way to where I was held." North explained, watching Holly and Butler look concerned with this knowledge. Jack seemed confused as well, but he nodded in response.

"Looks like you guys were right. This kid is nuts, with a plan even crazier than one of Pitch's ideas." Jack commented, shaking his head.

"Plan? What plan?" North asked, echoing Jack's earlier question.

"Doesn't matter, though I suppose there is something you should know." Jack added, glancing back at Butler and Holly for a moment before sighing slightly. "You two probably aren't going to like this." he added.

North wanted to know what it was though, and he was waiting for Jack to continue. "Manny chose a new Guardian yesterday, one who had only been gifted with magic about a month ago." Jack said quietly, watching Butler and Holly freeze in response. North did not see their issue, since it was not their fight.

"Chosen only a month ago? Must be very strong if Manny thinks they are ready to be Guardian." North replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Jack nodded, leaning against his staff as he continued. "He is, I couldn't even hit him with a snowball. Then again, I didn't know what he was when I tried to start a snowball fight with him."

"Jack, just who is this Guardian?" North asked, still waiting for an answer to his question.

"Father Time, though he prefers to use the name he had before he was chosen, Artemis Fowl II." Jack replied, watching North's eyes widen in shock.

"Guardian? That child has been chosen? How did I not see this?" North asked, wondering if something was wrong with his instincts. His belly always warned him if there was danger, or if there was something alarming he should know about. This child's power should have been sent some kind of feeling in his belly, but North had felt nothing.

"Artemis will not like this. He did not seem too fond of your position when you told him of your job." Butler commented, recovering after a few moments from what he had heard. Holly was shaking her head as well, clearly thinking something similar to Butler.

"Even if he did like the job, Artemis has two left feet. That Mud Boy would never be able to survive a battle on his own." Holly commented, making Jack frown slightly.

"Well, he's going to have to learn if he is going to be facing Pitch. Doesn't look like he has much of a choice now." Jack commented, glancing at North who nodded in agreement.

"Trust me, he will be fine. I can feel it, in my belly." North told Jack, clapping a hand on the winter spirit's shoulder as he saw the worry on the boy's face. North knew that Artemis was smart, always coming up with a plan for everything. Perhaps it would help him now, as he faced down Pitch. Perhaps the young boy's deception could be useful for them all, if he could manage to convince Pitch that North's freedom had truly been a result of Sandy's actions.

"I just hope that Artemis knows what he is doing this time. Hopefully his plan is a bit…less extreme than his last one." Holly commented, her gaze growing distant for a moment. North smiled at her, noticing that the small girl wasn't a child at all but rather an adult.

"What happened with his last plan?" Jack asked, curious to know just how complicated this kid's mind could get. North did not even know how extreme it had gone this time, having his focus diverted on searching for signs of Pitch's return this year.

"It's a long story, though none of us really know if his plan would have succeeded or not. All I will tell you is that he planned on dying, believing he found a way to bring himself back to life afterwords." Holly explained, looking uncomfortable with the thought.

"Wait, he _planned_ on dying? Just what was he dealing with that made him think he had to _die_ to win?" Jack asked, not getting the hint that she didn't want to talk about it. North touched his shoulder, shaking his head at the winter spirit's insensitivity.

"Jack, enough. Leave her be for now, she has told us enough." North told the young Guardian, making him frown slightly.

"It was an old enemy, one with a grudge against Artemis for stopping her plans before." Butler replied, but it was clear that any more questions would not be welcome.

This was clearly something that bothered them greatly, so North and Jack respected their silence in the matter. "Pitch's grudge is against the Guardians, not Artemis. As long as he does not know that the boy was chosen, Artemis will be safe." North announced, glancing outside at the sky with Jack by his side. Jack nodded, but there was a smile on North's face. "I do believe that we could use some assistance this time around, if you two are willing to help. How would you like to come to the North Pole and meet the rest of the Guardians?" North offered, holding out a snow globe in his hand. Butler and Holly shared a look before nodding, stepping forward and waiting to leave. North opened the portal and the four of them walked through, ready to begin their preparations for the upcoming battle with Pitch Black.

 **Yay, we've reached 1,000 views to this story! As a celebration, how about an early chapter release? I can't guarantee this will happen often, considering how busy I've gotten, but I did stay up all night to finish this for you. Sorry if there are grammar/spelling issues within, I was half-asleep when I edited it. Feel free to point them out and I will try and go back to edit them.**

 **Thank you for the reviews as well, I appreciate your feedback. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions for me again after this chapter, I love hearing from you and right now, seeing a review just makes my day that much better (and they motivate me to stay up later than I should to keep writing =D).**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Chapter 12

Artemis woke up only to see a very angry man hovering over him, a glare on his face as he looked down at the young boy. "What are you doing here? Where is North?" Pitch demanded, not bothering with pleasantries as Father Time sat up, frowning slightly. "Ah, you mean the prisoner? Unfortunately, there was little I could do to stop this escape from occurring. As I explained before, my expertise lies with making plans, not acting." he began, watching as Pitch only seemed to grow more irritated. "That is not acceptable! I came back from what was supposed to be an oh so simple mission, only to find that the Guardian I worked so hard to capture is missing! You are proving to be a rather disappointing ally, Father Time, so I suggest you make my time with you worthwhile before I decide I am better off without you." Pitch said menacingly, while Artemis thought carefully about his next words. He had worked through his story before, but he was beginning to doubt that Pitch would believe his words this time.

"Based on what I saw, I would imagine that it was the Sandman that attacked. I followed him, only to be discovered and attacked myself, with strange gold sand that forced me to sleep." Artemis claimed, watching Pitch frown and kneels down in front of him. "Do you really think that I care what happened to you? If you cannot handle the task of keeping one tiny prisoner here, then you are clearly unfit to be my ally." Pitch said quietly, watching Artemis carefully. The boy was beginning to realize that perhaps his backup plan would be needed, one he had hoped not to use. Just one more chance to try and persuade Pitch to let him stay, that was all Artemis had at the moment.

He narrowed his eyes, thinking that perhaps intimidation might be a better strategy. Pitch Black was telling the truth; he did not care what happened to Artemis in any way. This meant that Artemis had to find something else to threaten for Pitch, the belief he held so dear to his goals. "I suggest you back away now, Pitch. I know every possible future from this moment on, every choice that could be made and every action that either of us may perform. I know how to stop you and prevent anyone from ever believing in you, Mr. Black, so I suggest you avoid double-crossing me." Artemis threatened, taking a moment to focus on the future once more to emphasize his point. Pitch could see how distant Artemis' unmatched eyes went when he did so, how they seemed to gaze far into the distance at something no one else could see.

"You will have one last chance, Father Time. Do not fail me again, or you will face my nightmares head on." Pitch threatened, standing up straight and backing away from Artemis. The young genius got up, following after the boogeyman and returning to the room where the globe was still rotating slowly. "Still so much belief, so very hard to eliminate. Just what would you suggest doing?" Pitch asked, watching Artemis closely. "Yes, there is much belief, but you have made your presence known to our enemy. We no longer have the element of surprise, if we choose to attack again so soon." Artemis began, but Pitch did not like lengthy explanations that seemed to avoid answering his question.

"I tire of these riddles, Father Time. If you have nothing better to suggest, I will be off to the Pole, to see if a head on attack is enough to shake the Guardians to their core and get them to take me a bit more seriously this time." Pitch said, turning around to walk off. Artemis sighed, shaking his head at the man that was walking away. "Impatience will be your downfall, Pitch Black. We have lost the only advantage we had and our enemy will be regrouping, gathering together in one place I imagine to discuss their own strategy. Our best move right now would be to wait, let them believe we have given up before attacking once more when they least expect it." Artemis claimed, watching the lights twinkling on the globe. He wondered if they were all human children or if anyone underground believed in these beings as well. Artemis would have to warn the People of the existence of these beings, once he was finished dealing with this man here.

His plan was meant to buy himself some time, and time for the Guardians if Pitch agreed to it. He only hoped they would not be foolish enough to relax with an enemy like Pitch out there. "Hmm, perhaps you are correct. They would be gathering now, likely rejoicing in the return of their oh so special Guardian of Wonder. I would be overwhelmed on my own against them right now." he commented, but that was before he gave Artemis a wide smile. "However, I am not alone this time. I have an ally, with complete control over time, on my side. Together, we can take on all of them and destroy them at once." Pitch said gleefully, while Artemis frowned in response.

"I do believe I explained my inability to fight, Mr. Black. I am not skilled in battle in any way, regardless of how many times I have tried to be trained in the matter." Artemis commented, grimacing as he thought of Butler's attempts to train himself in self-defense. Perhaps it had been a good idea, but the boy hated any physical activity and he had lost interest fairly quickly in the matter. "Then allow me to remedy that situation. I shall make sure you can fight, Father Time, and you will do so by my side. I promise you, it will take less than a month to get you ready to face those pitiful beings that insist on protecting the children of the world." Pitch said, whistling loudly to call upon a nightmare hidden within his lair.

Artemis hesitated, backing away slightly as it appeared. He was not afraid of the creature, but he knew that this was not what he had planned for. Overall, he still would achieve his goal of stalling Pitch, but he would be forced into more activity than he had planned on when he came here. "Why should I trust you, Mr. Black, when you only just threatened to have me killed? I can still see that it is a possible end for our alliance, regardless of what I choose to do." Artemis asked, watching Pitch's grin widen further. "You can't trust me, however you don't have a choice in the matter. My nightmares will not stop attacking until you have perfected the art of attack, with and without your power. This is only the beginning, Father Time." Pitch announced, laughing as the nightmare by his side ran forward, charging at Artemis.

The boy stumbled, clumsily dodging to the side as the horse passed by him. He ran forward, away from the globe, only to be grabbed by Pitch and held still as the nightmare came closer once more. "No where to run, Father Time. Just how will you stop it now?" he asked, while Artemis began to focus on his magic once more. He directed it towards the nightmare, reversing the flow of time around it and forcing it to collapse into a pile of sand in front of them. "Good, very good! See, you are improving already, Father Time. I suggest you stay on guard from here on out, you never know when another attack will come." Pitch said, releasing Artemis and vanishing into the shadows of his lair. Artemis simply closed his eyes, containing his irritation at the mess he seemed to have gotten himself into this time. He hoped that he could make it through this month alive and stop Pitch at the end of it all.

 **I am so sorry about the short chapter, I wanted to try and get at least something up for you guys. I've been super busy with two full-time jobs, I don't have much time to write, but I hope you enjoy at least a little bit more of this story. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, this story has finally become my story with the most reviews. You guys are amazing, I'll try to get you something longer for the next update!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Jack Frost watched as the human and elf came into the workshop, staring around in amazement at what they saw. It was quite a rare sight for anyone to see, outside of the Guardians. North didn't let many people in here and security was so tight that even Jack hadn't been able to get inside. He grinned as he swiped a cookie away from an elf's tray, grinning at the yetis that glared at him as he walked by. "Jack, have you been bothering the yetis again?" North asked, seeing their irritation. Jack shrugged and grinned sheepishly at the Guardian of Wonder.

"Eh, just a little bit. No harm done, right?" he asked, watching North shake his head.

"One day, we will break your naughty streak Jack Frost." he said, walking towards the main room where the globe was spinning.

"Whoa, what is that?" Holly asked, making Jack grin and fly towards the top of the globe, landing on it and balancing as it rotated around the room.

"This is North's globe. Every light represents someone who believes, someone we have to protect." Jack explained, laughing as he tapped his staff against the globe's surface and created frost patterns around the globe.

"Jack, get down from there! Globe is not a toy!" North shouted, watching Jack fly down in response.

"Jeesh, North, let a guy have some fun every now and then." he commented, shoving one hand in his pocket as he balanced his staff over his shoulder with the other hand.

The elves and yetis seemed to be crowding in this room though, eager to see their old leader returned home. "Okay, is it just me or are there way too many people in here?" Jack asked, watching more of them come crowding inside.

"They are my friends, Jack, they are happy to see me home." North explained, smiling and waving at the creatures in the room.

Butler seemed tense as more filed in, looking concerned. "Is this really safe? Perhaps we should find another place to speak." he suggested, eyeing the yetis wearily. With his size, he looked like he just might be the only human who could take one of those creatures on, but Jack did not want to see that even begin to happen.

"Hey, you bloody yetis, get back to work! North's gonna-" a voice yelled, coming from the hall outside of the room they were in. Jack recognized the accent immediately, grinning as he sat on a nearby table and waved towards the entrance.

"Nice to see you again, Bunny. You'd never believe who I found in Ireland this time." Jack announced, watching the rabbit fight his way through the yetis and into the room. "Oh, right. I should tell you about the rest of us, so you can actually see them." Jack commented, watching Butler and Holly begin to search for the newcomer into the room.

"Yes, I believe that would be helpful." Butler commented, clearly looking annoyed with his inability to see these beings.

"Right, so first of all, we have Bunny, often referred to as the Easter Bunny to you guys. The Sandman is out right now, looking for signs of Pitch. Speaking of which, you should probably give him the signal so he comes back and we can discuss our next move." Jack said, turning towards North for a moment before continuing in his introduction. "Finally, we have the Tooth Fairy, or Tooth for short." Jack finished, watching Butler and Holly simply look stunned at what they were learning.

"So many of them, and yet none of us found any signs of them. Even Foaly, with all of his paranoia, never found a sign of their existence!" Holly claimed, clearly upset with how little she knew about the Guardians.

"Hey, we aren't really that high tech around here. Mostly, we rely on magic so don't blame your genius on not being able to find us." Jack commented, watching the other Guardians frown at the conversation.

"Jack, what is she talking about?" North inquired, not following their conversation. Jack was remembering Holly's threat, though, and decided that this would be a good time to change the topic.

"Uh, nothing! Have you signaled Sandy yet?" Jack asked quickly, walking over to the lever near the globe.

"Just what are you up to, Frost?" Bunny asked, crossing his arms over his chest. While he had been chatting with his human friends, Bunny had been focused on welcoming North back to the workshop. Now, he could tell that something was up between those three, but Frost wasn't talking.

"Nothing at all, just planning on a fun snow day next Easter." Jack said sweetly, knowing it would provoke Bunny.

"Why you little-" Bunny began, but North cut him off.

"Bunny, enough! Jack, you know not to mess with Easter. The children need it to be perfect next year, especially after what Pitch did this year."

Jack's smile faded, nodding and looking serious for a second. "Right, sorry Bunny. Anyway, let's get this show on the road!" Jack announced, pulling the lever without waiting for anyone to add anything else. Lights poured out of the room, spreading across the sky outside from within.

"If only Artemis were here, he would be trying to figure out how this works." Holly commented with a grin, watching the lights pour out of the room.

"I believe he would already have plenty of theories in mind, ready to go home and test. Perhaps he would find some kind of system to hack into to find the answer." Butler added with a small smile.

"That kid is just way to weird for me. He just doesn't know how to relax and have fun. Uh, no offense guys." Jack commented, still amazed at every detail he learned about Artemis Fowl. The kid was a genius, but he used his mind for criminal activities. He was rich, but instead of using it to enjoy life, he decided to go to private schools and build strange contraptions. The kid could have anything he wanted, but he did not play games like every other kid Jack knew.

"Indeed, Artemis is a remarkable young man. He will be quite amazing one day." Butler said, not sounding offended at all by Jack's comment.

"I wouldn't go that far, Mud Man. Artemis may be a genius who saved the world, but he is still a criminal." Holly commented, shaking her head at the bodyguard.

"Wait, the kid saved the world? Just what kind of disasters does this kid get involved in anyway?" Jack asked, watching the two shrug in response.

It was clear that they were not going to provide many more explanations right now. "Look, this is great and all, but would you mind explaining what you are talking about?" Bunny complained, getting Jack's attention again.

"Uh, right. We were talking about the new Guardian, Father Time. These are two of his friends from before he was chosen. The kid's already managed to get some believers, and they aren't even children." Jack commented, sighing as he thought about his own time of loneliness.

"Bunny, is everything okay? I saw the signal and I came flying right-North?" Tooth said, flying into the room and landing in front of them. "It is you!" she cried, flying forward and hugging the large man in front of them. "Oh, and Jack, you're back already? How'd everything go with Father Time?" she asked, watching the young Guardian grin at her excitement.

"Is she always like this?" Holly asked, while Jack nodded in response.

"Yeah, though normally she ends up obsessing over someone's teeth sooner than this." Jack commented, still waiting for her to fly over and inspect his mouth again. She didn't do it last time he was here, but he had come to expect it from her most of the time. "Anyway, the kid's gone, somewhere with Pitch according to North." Jack announced, watching Tooth and Bunny back away slightly.

"Wait, he's with Pitch? Why?" Tooth asked, while Bunny only snorted and crossed his arms over his chest again.

"Isn't it obvious? The kid is a criminal and he's doing what they do best, exploiting others." Bunny answered, not looking too surprised even though he was upset.

"No! Fowl helped free me, he is good kid." North argued, this time managing to surprise both Bunny and Tooth. Holly and Butler grinned slightly, amused at that description of the young genius they both knew so well. Artemis was many things, but this was the first time anyone had referred to him as being good.

"Are you telling me that after generations of criminals in the Fowl family, one of them has suddenly decided to be good? To follow the law and behave like children are supposed to do?" Bunny asked, his voice filled with disbelief. North stroked his beard, frowning as he thought about him.

"Not at all, but his heart is in the right place. He protects what is dear to him and for now, that is enough for me." North commented with a smile, staring at the lights on the globe.

"Okay, so what are we going to do? Pitch is holding him captive and we need his help, according to Manny." Tooth asked, fluttering around nervously in the room.

"That's what we're here for, to discuss—oh, Sandy's here!" Jack began, waving as the Sandman landed next to them, flying into the room just as Tooth had done.

He grinned wildly at the sight of North, giving them all a thumbs up as he noticed the return of the Guardian of Wonder. "Sandy! Is good to see you too. We are trying to figure out what to do about Pitch." North announced, bringing Sandy into the conversation.

Sandy nodded eagerly, producing an image of Artemis that had been given to them by Manny. "He already knows about that, Sandy. Artemis is trapped with Pitch, though." Jack commented, watching Sandy's excited expression fall into a thoughtful frown.

"Perhaps we are overthinking this. Artemis planned for this to happen, based on what I have heard. He must have something in mind to get out." Butler said, confident in Artemis' plans. The only doubt in the bodyguard's mind related to Artemis' inability to defend himself in any way. The boy struggled with simply running across a field, so there was little chance of him physically matching this Pitch in any way.

Holly was the one to voice his concerns, snorting slightly at Butler's words. "Yeah right. Artemis might be able to think his way out of anything, but if comes down to a fight he's hopeless." she commented, watching the Guardians frown at her.

"Wait, you're saying Manny gave us a kid that can't fight? The whole point of choosing him was to stand up against Pitch! Just what was he thinking?" Bunny complained, while Tooth tried to look for the bright side.

"Well, maybe he has something special to protect? North, you are the one that is best at figuring out our centers. What do you think it is for Artemis?" she suggested, thinking maybe this would give them some idea on why Artemis was chosen.

"Center?" Butler asked, not understanding the term. Jack nodded, a grin on his face for a moment as he remembered that conversation with North. Hopefully the bodyguard would not be around if North tried the same thing with the kid.

"It is what makes us who we are, what we fight to protect in children. For me, I'm all snow balls and fun times. Makes things a bit more interesting in my life, though the others don't always agree." Jack said with a grin, while Bunny grumbled some kind of complaint about his blizzards.

"I have not known the boy for long and I did not think to search for one in him." North replied, frowning slightly.

"Centers, they are all some conceptual idea right? You claim to guard fun, what about the others?" Holly asked, trying to think of what Artemis might value.

"Well, North's is kind of obvious when you think about it. He protects the wonder of children in the world. Believe it or not, Bunny actually protects hope. I didn't see that one coming, not from someone so grumpy all the time." Jack commented, dodging as Bunny swung at the winter spirit in annoyance.

"Hey! I am not grumpy, mate." he argued, only seeming to prove the winter spirit's point.

"Whatever you say, kangaroo." he added with a grin, watching Bunny step forward before sighing and backing off.

"Moving on, we have Tooth who protects the memories of children. The teeth apparently store them somehow, but don't ask me how it works. That's not my department, after all. Finally, Sandy who protects the dreams of children everywhere." Jack explained, while both Holly and Butler nodded, seeming lost in thought.

"Well, if there is anything that stands out about Artemis, it is his mind. He is brilliant, always able to come up with solutions to impossible problems." Holly said with confidence, while Butler nodded in agreement.

"Knowledge, you say? Perhaps, but we will see. We cannot risk breaking into Pitch's lair to retrieve the boy, so we must wait for him to come to us. Once Pitch is outside of his home, we will make our move." North announced, coming up with some kind of plan.

"So, you are saying that we're just going to wait and see what happens?" Holly asked, not looking satisfied with this plan.

Jack glanced at her, sighing and nodding in response. "I know, it sounds so boring, but North is usually right about these things. He's been fighting Pitch longer than any of us. I know that Artemis will be fine, especially if he is as smart as you claim he is. Pitch wanted the kid for a reason so he isn't just going to kill him so easily." Jack said, hoping to cheer her up slightly.

Butler didn't look happy either, but he nodded in agreement. "Very well, what can we do to help?" he offered, glancing at the group around him. Together, they would bring Artemis home and stop this Pitch Black. They were not going to give up until they succeeded.

 **I'm back again! There will likely be one more month gap between now and the next update, but after that, my schedule will be lightening up. School is starting again, so I will be leaving one of my two jobs and that means I have more time to write! I hope you guys are happy about that, it means there won't be long waits like this as we get closer to the end of this story.**

 **Thank you for being patient with me and waiting, I am always happy to see new reviews/follows/favorites. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, I'm still half-asleep every time I write, so it probably has plenty of mistakes in it, but hopefully, I'll be able to improve later when I'm somewhat more awake. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think, your opinions help me grow as a writer!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Pitch's training was rather unorthodox, however it seemed to be effective for Artemis. He felt stronger within a short period of time, able to act out his plans with little interference from his own lack of coordination. While he was still not skilled physically, he was far more skilled with his power, directing it at specific targets with only a short warning ahead of time. "No magic this time, Father Time. Learn to use your weapons and fight back regardless of how tired you are." Pitch called out, his voice echoing in the cavern Artemis was inside of. In his hand was the very weapon Pitch spoke of, a long scepter with a removable, spherical clock on the top and a pointed base. It was gold, probably to give Artemis some satisfaction that he was getting something out of this arrangement. The boy had gotten used to wielding the weapon, using the clock itself by manipulating it with his magic. The Nightmares seemed weak to the weapon, falling apart as soon as their bodies were pierced with the spear-like end of the scepter, though Artemis still struggled to hit many of them with the weapon.

Pitch sent dozens of those creatures into the room now, all of them surrounding Artemis with ease while the genius watched patiently. He could see every possible attack they would use and tell which one was their most likely decision. He held himself ready, prepared to react at a moment's notice should one of them move in to attack. "Understood. This is a test to challenge my physical abilities and I will not fail." Artemis replied, staying calm as he made his plan of attack. The month had passed by quickly and it seemed that Pitch was making good on his promise. Perhaps Artemis could be taught to fight, if he was forced to put his mind to the task. While he had agreed to not use magic, Artemis knew that Pitch would never realize he constantly broke that rule, peering into the future at every possible moment to plan out his attacks. Once he was finished with his plan, he smiled at the creatures in front of him before moving to attack.

Butler would have been proud of Artemis' progress, though the young genius was still unable to fight as well as he needed to. The plan in his mind was excellent, perfect for use if he had been a skilled fighter. As Artemis tried to move his body according to his plan, the movement of the Nightmares distracted him and he discovered he was unable to move quick enough through the hoard. He felt teeth bite at his clothes, making him grimace at the sad sight of his formal suit. Yet another one was ruined through Pitch's insane training exercises. He did his best to lash out with the scepter, but in the end, he was overwhelmed and soon found himself knocked to the ground, nightmares breathing into his face as they leaned close to Artemis.

"Still struggling? It seems you are hopeless without your power, Father Time." Pitch called out, halting the attack for a moment. The nightmares backed off with Pitch's command, always following their master's every order. "Once more, this time use your power." he ordered, as the Nightmares rushed forward once more. Artemis grinned at the idea, now knowing he would win with the power of time in his hands. One of the Nightmares had been close enough to kick his side hard, but the young genius had already begun to focus his magic on the clock that he had removed from his scepter.

This was another new trick he had discovered in this place, during his training exercises. The future held endless possibilities, no one could guarantee what it would contain, so what happened when someone, or something, was sent into the future? Artemis had learned, seeing the clock become virtually untraceable to normal sight as it tried to position itself in all possible locations for its future. The momentum of the clock and speed was enough to pummel through the army in seconds, flashing around the room before Artemis brought the clock back into the present, holding it in his hand before reattaching it to his scepter.

"Enough, I grow tired of this exercise." Pitch called out, commanding the few remaining Nightmares to pull back away from Artemis. "You have improved, just as I promised. I think it is time for my investment to pay off, don't you?" Pitch asked, appearing in Artemis' room from the shadows he had been hiding in.

Artemis kept his face neutral, though he was trying to plan a way out of this. He could not use his own weakness this time, not when it was clear that he could at least survive some form of battle. "Perhaps, though it may be a bit too soon to tell. These Guardians are supposedly formidable foes, if they have managed to survive your attacks for so long." Artemis said, though Pitch was not in agreement.

"They have survived through luck alone, not through any skill of theirs. I am far more powerful than they will ever be, the only one with complete control over darkness and fear." Pitch said, while Artemis simply shook his head.

"Overconfidence can lead to mistakes, Mr. Black. I know from experience, so I suggest you gain a more realistic viewpoint of our situation." Artemis argued, watching Pitch grow irritated by his calm attitude. The man always seemed to get irritated when speaking with Artemis, but the genius was used to it. Most adults disliked the way he spoke, since it was so uncharacteristic of someone his age.

"You should take your own advice, Father Time. This calm confidence you always seem to possess will not help you succeed." Pitch countered, glaring at Artemis as they spoke.

The boy felt the hint of a smile play at his lips as he responded. "Oh, I do believe it will. Appearance means everything, Mr. Black, and mine is one that commands attention and shows that I am not to be trifled with. I am well aware of my faults and strengths, using them to my advantage instead of letting them become my downfall." Artemis claimed, turning to face Pitch in the dark room. Anger was filling his yellow eyes, but it was clear that the man was suppressing it for now.

"My point still remains, Father Time. Our enemy has relaxed at this point and we are strong enough to take them down." Pitch replied, watching the boy sigh and close his eyes for a moment.

"Just what do you think we can accomplish tonight? Do you know where they are? Are we able to destroy them in one night? What will you do if we fail? These are all questions to be considered before we make our move, Mr. Black, and I will not move with confidence until you can answer each and every one of them." Artemis said calmly, opening his eyes to see that he had pushed Pitch over his limit of tolerance for the night.

"Listen, boy, you are not in charge here! If you had just done as I requested before and sent me back in time, we would not be dealing with this mess in the first place. Perhaps you should consider your own failings before doubting my own ideas." he argued, looking prepared to attack the boy for his attitude.

Artemis was about to remind him that time travel would do nothing when he got an idea. It was rather risky, but it was the beginnings of a plan. After a few moments of consideration, Artemis realized that he had little else to work with so he had to at least make an attempt with this plan. "Perhaps you are correct. I should have demonstrated the issue with time travel, since you are clearly unable to comprehend my explanations." Artemis commented, watching Pitch's eyes narrow at the boy.

"Are you trying to insult me?" Pitch asked, his voice filled with menace.

"That is for you to judge, Mr, Black, however you should be thanking me. I have decided to go through with your original plan. We will travel through time together and I will show you how I know that this plan is destined to fail." Artemis claimed, focusing for a moment as he grabbed Pitch's hand.

This was where things got tricky in the boy's plan. He had to use the time tunnel to his advantage, just as he had done when traveling to Hybras with Holly. He could feel Pitch's mind within the time stream, and his dark magic that focused on fear. Artemis pulled just briefly, taking a small amount of that magic for himself as they traveled back to the time Pitch had described, the time when he had been invading the home of the Tooth Fairy. They both arrived, watching the chaos above as Nightmares swarmed and captured the fairies in the air. "Perfect, this is perfect! Now, I can stop Jack Frost before he ever becomes a problem." Pitch claimed, chuckling darkly at the scene in front of him.

Artemis watched as the man created Nightmares by his side, sending them into the sky. That was when the issue occurred, the one Artemis knew existed in this plan. Their future was already written, containing this little trip through time. These Nightmares Pitch created got lost in the chaos, joining the others in the task of capturing fairies instead of listening to Pitch's commands. This was due to the fact that they had two masters giving them orders, one demanding that they stop Jack Frost, the other demanding the capture of the fairies. In the end, it only slowed down the progress they made, something that became obvious when one hesitated a moment before chasing after one of the fairies. That hesitation led to the fairy remaining free, saved by the very spirit Pitch wished to stop. "What are they doing? They were to find Frost and destroy him." Pitch growled, glaring at the creatures above him. Artemis sighed, shaking his head for a moment.

"This is what I meant before, when I told you that this plan would not work. The past cannot be changed through time travel, not in this manner. Any changes we make here have already been felt by us in the future, thus rendering this entire trip pointless." Artemis explained, grabbing Pitch's hand once more to return to their time.

Artemis was more focused this time, able to take more than before from Pitch as they returned. The young genius now found himself in his room, smiling at Pitch as he began to feel his new power within him. He could sense the fears of Pitch Black, how he was afraid of losing this war and remaining invisible forever. "You foolish boy! Why put me through that, just to show me it is useless?" Pitch demanded, glaring at Artemis as soon as they returned.

"You refused to listen to reason, so you left me no choice other than to show you the truth. Perhaps next time you will listen to my advice." Artemis said calmly, though Pitch was still lost in his rage.

"No! You are not making the plans here. This is my war, my Nightmares and my goal! You are coming with me now, whether you want to or not, and we are going to take down the North Pole and all those precious elves hidden within." Pitch claimed, snapping his fingers to summon a Nightmare. Artemis stood calmly in front of both of them, letting the Nightmare trap him within its body of sand before taking off out of this place. Pitch rode by his side, a smile on his face as he envisioned his ultimate victory against the Guardians of the world.

 **Yay, I've got extra time off this week, in addition to nearly being done with my incredibly busy schedule. Sorry about the confusing comment before, I was tired and didn't explain that I had a bit of a break before class started again. Either way, it still means I can write more, which means quicker updates for you! For Arty's magic, I will admit, I was partially inspired by the Fairy Tail anime. If you want a better idea of what it looks like, it is somewhat mimicking Arc of Time magic from that series, which seemed rather fitting to adapt to a fighting style that Artemis could use.**

 **Below are responses to reviews, I had a lot from the last chapter (We've reached 40 now, I am so happy to see so many people giving me feedback! =D) and I wanted to take the time to address some of the comments made in them. If you guys like me doing this, I will try and reply to each review individually, that way I can clarify things for anyone who has concerns or questions. Feel free to continue reviewing and telling me what you think! Do you think we can hit 50 reviews before the next chapter? I would be super happy to see that. If it happens, I promise the chapter will be out within the day we reach that many reviews! Otherwise, it will continue to follow the update schedule listed on my profile.**

 **For those of you that reviewed:**

 **FCL: I am so happy to hear that you love my story, thank you for your kind words! As far as Butler's comment goes, they don't completely understand what has happened to Artemis at this point. There is a bit of a time skip in here now, during which they learn a bit more, but I didn't quite write it out because I felt it took away from the flow of the plot at this point and made more sense bridge it together with something else, as you will see next chapter. Jack Frost is the only other spirit they've spoken with at the time when Butler makes that comment, and he isn't all that talkative about his past or exactly how being a spirit works. While he does understand that Artemis is different, he has no doubt that the young genius is still capable of performing great acts for others. Hope that helps you understand Butler's viewpoint for that, and why that comment was made. Any other suggestions, feel free to let me know, I love hearing from others who want to help me improve my writing.**

 **Yilems: I'm glad you are enjoying my story. I agree, there are a lot of Artemis/Holly stories out there, and to be honest, I don't quite see it as something that would happen. Artemis has put Holly through a bit too much pain for them to truly trust each other completely in my mind, so the most I can really see is a friendship between them. This is why I do not trust myself to write this pairing, as I feel it would begin making them fall out of character for a bit.**

 **Altros: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you think I've done a good job showing how Jack's changed since the beginning of the ROTG movie. Keeping everyone in character is something I do my hardest to work on, it always helps hearing that people think I am doing well at it!**

 **mckenziemorgan22: Here is an update, maybe not quite as soon as you were looking for, but still here! Updates should start coming weekly around now, maybe one more that is slightly delayed at this point, but after that, we will be back to a bit more of a regular schedule until this is finished.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of ROTG or Artemis Fowl

It had been over a month, an entire month of the Guardians trying to prepare for Pitch's attack. "Something must be coming, I can feel it in my belly." North was commenting, having already heard the complaints from a multitude of the People who had arrived to assist them. Holly Short was the main go between for them, the one that relayed messages between North and Commander Kelp for this operation. The plan itself had seemed rather simple on the outside. Holly had contacted Foaly underground and relayed the information about the danger that was being faced above ground. Somewhere along the line, the LEP had gotten ahold of the information and sent many recon members to try and prevent any magical wars from exposing magic to humans. They were far too paranoid in Holly's opinion, that she was sure of. These beings had existed for centuries and still, the only people aware of their existence were mere children.

"Get out of my way, you little rascals. Man, these guys are annoying, North, how much longer do we have to put up with them?" Bunny was asked, approaching from the main room of the workshop. The North Pole had been the basis of their operation, uncomfortable for the People that hated the cold, but bearable due to its seclusion from humans.

"Say anything further and you'll be answering to my neutrino, rabbit." Holly threatened, glaring at the Guardian. He was the one most annoyed with their help, which annoyed Holly in return.

"Holly, as rude as they may be, these people are our friends. We must at least try to be civil." Butler said, trying to calm the elf down.

Sandy nodded in agreement, glaring at Bunny slightly before focusing on the room in front of them. "Look, it has been over a month and there has been no sign of Pitch. He still has Father Time with him and we are no closer to locating him than we were before." Tooth stated, looking a bit nervous about the situation. Holly agreed with her, the last few weeks had taken their toll on all of them. The elves and pixies that had arrived to help were bored, uncomfortable from the tension between them and the Guardians, as well as from the weather outside the building. They still continued patrolling the area, keeping an eye out for the being known as Pitch Black, but they were no longer as motivated as they had been when they arrived.

"No, we must not give up! Pitch is out there, somewhere, with Artemis trying to do who knows what! I am not going to sit back and let you guys do nothing when he needs our help." Holly said, glaring up at the Guardians in front of her.

Butler backed her up, standing close to the elf with a hard expression on his face. "Captain Short is correct. I will tear apart anyone who stands in my way of finding Artemis. If you wish to stop aiding us, be aware that you will make us your enemy by standing in our way." Butler warned, watching as Jack Frost flew in from outside to join them.

"Hey, we've got a problem." he stated, before noticing the tension in the room. "Come on, are we fighting again? Why can't you guys just get along, have a little fun while we're here?" Jack asked, swinging his staff over his shoulder as he joined the group.

Holly smiled up at Jack, happy to see him. Out of all the Guardians, he was one of the friendlier ones and he was the only one that could get Bunny's harsh comments focused away from the People. She hated that it meant watching Jack get picked on instead, but he seemed to take it all with a smile, quick to retort with another insult to his fellow Guardian. "We are not giving up, we are Guardians, we protect any child in need. Regardless of his status as a potential Guardian, Artemis is still a child that needs our help. I apologize if we have done anything to make it seem otherwise, Holly, we are all rather tense with Pitch being so quiet." North stated, watching the elf nod and take a deep breath herself.

"We don't need their help, North! Come on, Pitch is probably weak still after our last fight. As strong as these guys are, they aren't Guardians. This is our fight, we don't drag others into our problems." Bunny argued, glaring over at North as Jack frowned at his words.

"Really, you're trying to kick them out? That's a bad idea, though I guess you wouldn't know that because you are ignoring me right now." Jack said a bit cheerfully, making Holly remember that he had come in with news just a moment ago.

The winter spirit was clearly annoyed, but he seemed to be keeping a smile on his face. "Pitch Black has made this our fight, by harming Artemis. None of you would understand, he is my charge and it is my job to keep him safe regardless of how dangerous the situation." Butler explained, while Holly shrugged and glanced into the room where the globe was. That was where the rest of the People were waiting, on guard in the event that an attack started within this place.

"This is our fight as well. Magic like this risks exposing us to the world. It doesn't matter if you are nothing like us, when Mud Men see magic, they believe in all kinds of crazy things, including fairies." Holly said, using the same logic the LEP had given her when they arrived to provide assistance. She didn't quite believe in the concept, not seeing the link entirely, but she was not going to object to the help.

"Still ignoring me I see. Maybe I'll stop by Burgess, I'm sure Jaimie would at least say something to me when I spoke." Jack commented, now walking around the group and creating a trail of frost with his staff. Sandy glanced over at him, smiling sympathetically and trying to get the attention of the Guardians as well. Holly watched him create a golden arrow above his head, pointing to Jack as he smiled eagerly. Bunny and North ignored him, now engrossed in a deeper argument about what to do with the People that had arrived to help. Holly had given up on joining in, she really didn't seem to be making much of a difference in his mind.

"Hey, Jack, what was it you wanted to tell us? I don't think those two are going to listen in any time soon." Holly asked, turning towards the winter spirit.

"Finally, someone sees the light! Pitch is attacking, now. We need to get outside and defend the workshop, his nightmares are coming in fast." Jack told Holly, watching her eyes grow wide. North and Bunny still hadn't heard, but she wasn't going to let this go on.

Glancing over at Sandy and Butler, she saw them both turning to head out. "I'll catch up with you later. First, I've gotta knock some sense into these two idiots. Honestly, they are dumber than some of the Mud People I've met." Holly commented, watching Butler give her a small smile before walking out with Sandy to engage the Nightmares in battle. Holly removed her neutrino from it's holster, pointing it towards Bunny and firing it at its lowest setting. Slightly harmed wouldn't be too bad for these guys, they would still function enough to fight.

Bunny yelped and jumped out of the way, the shot firing into the wall instead of hitting anyone. Both him and North turned to look at her in shock, Bunny glaring while North simply looked stunned at her actions. "You guys are idiots, bickering while your friends defend your home. Get outside, Pitch is here now. We don't have time to deal with this!" Holly told them, watching them become serious and start moving towards the exit.

Bunny had his boomerangs in hand, while North unsheathed his swords as they left. The rabbit shivered slightly at the cold air, but ignored it when he saw the huge swarm of black horses in front of them. "Crikey, these things are everywhere!" Bunny said, his ears going down as he began to throw his weapon into the fray. Jack Frost was in the air already, waves of frost destroying plenty of the monsters, but the army's numbers seemed to be endless.

Holly started shooting into the hoard, blasting away at the Nightmares and trying to push them back. She could hear gunfire from the distance, telling her Butler was doing the same. Off to her left, North was fighting them off in close range, his swords slashing through every Nightmare that approached, but Holly could tell fairly quickly that they would not be able to hold this position for long. As strong as they were, the Guardians could not stand up against this amount of Nightmares at once. Holly fired once more into the fray, hitting another Nightmare head on before she felt one of them bite at her arm, making her grimace in pain. She could feel her body already moving to heal the wound, blue sparks jumping from the wound as her skin closed over from her own magic.

"Hey, sheila, I suggest you duck!" Bunny yelled, making her glance up to see a boomerang flying back towards her. Captain Short fell to the ground, turning around to see Bunny catching the weapon with a grin. He threw it out into the hoard once more, taking out four in one shot, but there were still hundred more to face. Turning towards the sky, Holly began trying to help Tooth and Jack, shooting into the airborne group of Nightmares that were surrounding them. She was surprised at the sheer among of mini fairies surrounding Tooth, pecking away at the nightmares as one, taking them down in groups rather than individually. Tooth would help as well, flying agilely through the sky and using her fists and feet to battle against the sand creatures. Jack's frost blasts seemed to be growing weaker, signs of exhaustion showing on his face. Even the Guardians didn't have unlimited magic and Jack Frost might be nearing his limit, from what Holly could see.

Holly's next shot went wide as one of the Nightmares pulled her back, throwing her to the ground behind her. Holly glared back up at it, firing directly into its face before getting back up to resume her battle. Everyone was showing signs of weakening, making her wonder just how they were going to win this battle. She hoped Artemis would come soon, that he had some kind of plan to get them out of this with ease. As she continued firing, she noticed Jack Frost had joined her on the ground. "Holly, you've got to warn your friends! I'll clear a path for you, get back to the workshop and make sure they don't destroy the toys." Jack told her, watching the former LEP recon member nod in agreement. She knew that they would break through eventually, so the protection of christmas would become the responsibility of the LEP now.

Holly watched Jack send a wave of frost back towards the workshop, destroying the Nightmares in its path and allowing Holly to move closer to where they had come from. She could see that they still hadn't managed to get inside, a good thing, but that didn't mean they wouldn't get there soon. Holly shot out in front of her, clearing away the Nightmares that moved to replenish the ones that had been destroyed. With her small form, few of them noticed as she made her way inside, giving one last glance back towards the Guardians. As she activated her shield, she hoped they would win this battle, because at this point, they needed a miracle to survive. Holly let the door close behind her, holding her head high as she resolved to continue fighting. She would not go down without a fight and she knew Artemis would come soon. She just had to have a bit of faith in the young genius. After all, she knew that Artemis' plans never failed.

 **Back down to one job, yay! I've got another chapter ready, I hope you enjoy. Thank you to Auzzy the Ozzie for the review, I'm glad you've enjoyed my story so far. Everyone else, feel free to give me any suggestions or comments in a review! I love hearing your thoughts, they continue to inspire me to write more.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Artemis wasn't quite sure what to expect when he arrived, but this was not it. He was released from the Nightmare once they were inside, his scepter still in his grasp as he stared around at the workshop of the famous toy maker. Pitch had vanished into the shadows, taking his Nightmares with him as he prepared his attack. "Good luck on your own, Father Time. I do hope you survive just a bit longer, so I can have my fun with you once we are done." Pitch whispered, laughing as Artemis frowned in response. Pitch truly thought he was more intimidating than he actually was, but the young genius saw no need to correct Pitch anymore.

Artemis stood up, glancing around and noticing a fireplace behind him. Warmth was entering the room from the fire, but his eyes were on the globe in the room in front of him, much larger than Pitch's globe had been. Instead of having gaps where oceans were, this one seemed to be colored in, with the lights shining brightly across the entire surface. "It appears that they monitor belief just like he does." Artemis commented, stopping for a moment when he saw a brief shimmer in the air in front of him. He frowned slightly, reaching up to his headgear and adjusting the settings to turn on the shield filter. As unlikely as it was, he felt as if this room wasn't as empty as it seemed to be. As soon as he activated the filter, dozens of LEP officers jumped into his field of vision, all of them with weapons pointed in his direction.

Artemis held his hands up, trying to show signs of surrender. Perhaps these fairies did not realize he was their ally. It was unlikely, but not impossible, considering the size of the underground world they lived in. "Artemis?" one of them asked, catching his attention. A familiar officer was flying towards him with a grin on her face. He nodded very slightly, knowing Pitch was still watching somewhere. Artemis could not give any hint of the People's presence in this room, or they would all fall. "You're being watched, aren't you?" Holly asked, her smile falling as she noticed his silent movements through the room.

"Look, we've got your back. It took a while to convince Kelp to help us, but this issue could potentially threaten all of us. I mean, magical beings that we have never heard of? We have to prevent war from breaking out here, if possible." Holly said, walking close to Artemis as he moved around the globe. He needed to get away from the shadows if he wanted to speak, but there were little options here. Lights created shadows, but without the light there was only more darkness for Pitch to hide in.

"They're breaking through! Take cover!" a voice yelled, before its owner flew into the room. Jack Frost was flying into the room, sending a blast of ice towards a Nightmare behind him as he prepared for battle.

"Take cover? Is that truly the best plan you have? Such a pitiful plan for the once great and mighty Jack Frost." Pitch said, his voice echoing throughout the room. Artemis sighed, realizing that his own cover was lost at this point. He was not going to fight these Guardians, regardless of what Pitch desired.

"Avoid the shadows, if possible. Also, I advise you to conceal your fear." Artemis told them, watching as a wave of darkness formed in front of them.

"Foolish boy! You dare try and help them, the enemy I've trained you to fight against? You will pay for this." Pitch yelled, sending it crashing down towards Artemis. Jack was there to stop it, freezing it in its tracks and creating a cloud of icy sand in the room.

"Thanks for the advice kid, but we already know how he fights." Jack said, twirling his staff around and preparing for another attack.

"Yes, I suppose you do after his previous attempt at this. We both know just how easy it was to stop him then." Artemis commented, hoping to get a reaction from the man who was so afraid of failing once more.

"Easy? They had only a single believer left, in the entire world! I could have destroyed them right then and there, if Jack Frost had not interfered!" Pitch roared, sending Nightmares from the shadows to attack.

Artemis had experience with these creatures, after all of his time training to battle against the Guardians. "If you wish to fight me, I suggest you find a new weapon. These creatures are no match for me and we are both aware of this fact." Artemis said calmly, reversing the flow of time on one of them and leaving it as nothing more than a pile of sand.

"Nice stick kid. Where'd you get it?" Jack asked, grinning as he froze another of the Nightmares that had attacked.

"So it is Jack Frost who you are afraid of, the one who is able to stop your plans from succeeding. " Artemis commented, ignoring the question.

Pitch finally showed himself, glaring at the young boy in front of him. "I am the boogeyman, I control fear! I am not afraid of anything!" Pitch yelled, stepping closer to Artemis with his eyes burning. Artemis simply smiled at the man in front of him, watching as the Nightmares seemed to grow more agitated as Pitch's fears were toyed with.

"Ah, yes. You control fear and darkness, sense its presence in anyone nearby and gain power from it. You hide in the shadows and send your Nightmares to fight for you, a cowardly act for one who claims to have no fear." Artemis said confidently, feeling Holly drag him to the ground as Pitch created a scythe of darkness and swung towards the young boy with it. Artemis grinned at her, winking as he vanished from sight, using the magic he borrowed from Pitch in the time tunnel to hide in the shadows of the room. He could travel anywhere within this darkness, see everyone from any angle. It was something he had to look into keeping for the future, but for now he was going to take care of Pitch.

"No…this is impossible!" Pitch yelled, attacking Jack out of anger as he realized Artemis was no where to be found.

"My name, Pitch Black, is Artemis Fowl II, and I am a criminal mastermind. I have stolen from beings that even you cannot comprehend the existence of and now, I have mastered the art of stealing magic. Observe as your own power, your own fear, is turned against you." Artemis said, his voice echoing throughout the room.

"Oh no, not again." Holly said with a groan, forgetting that she was supposed to be invisible. Pitch heard her voice, but he was beginning to fall into a panic over what had just happened. Father Time had stolen his magic and was clearly using it as if he had practiced with it for years. It had taken Pitch months to learn the trick of hiding in shadows, but Artemis did it in just seconds.

"Again? Just how many times has this kid stolen someone's magic?" Jack asked, knowing Holly was here but unable to see her anywhere. He still didn't understand how they turned invisible or why they would even want to do so, but he couldn't deny that it was possible.

"Enough of this! I will destroy you all!" Pitch declared, creating a large wave of darkness behind him in anger. It was large enough to crash down over the entire room and eliminate even the fairies that were unseen by him.

"I would not do that if I were you, Pitch Black. I am not the only one that can sense your fear." Artemis claimed, making Pitch notice the Nightmares that were preparing to charge at their master once more.

"No, I will not be destroyed by them a second time!" he declared, waving his hands and turning them all back into piles of sand on the ground.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. Now, we've just got one guy to deal with." Jack commented, grinning at Pitch as he sent a wave of ice towards the Nightmare King. Pitch was sent flying back, colliding with the wall behind him as he collapsed on the ground. Seeing that Pitch was incapacitated, Artemis emerged from the shadows, walking over behind Jack to observe the damage done to Pitch. "I don't think he'll be trying anything again anytime soon." Jack said with a grin, glancing back at Artemis who nodded in response.

"You are even more dangerous than I thought you'd be with magic, Mud Boy." Holly commented, shaking her head at the damage done to Pitch.

Artemis gave her a small smile, satisfied with the outcome of his actions. "Perhaps, though I must say it was well directed this time." he replied, while Jack simply listened in on their conversation.

"This time? Just what are you planning on doing with this magic of yours, Artemis?" Holly asked, looking slightly concerned with what he might have planned.

"Rest assured, the People are still safe from me, Captain. I have no intention of exploiting them with this power. After all, there are far too many dangers involved to use it properly. We do not want a repeat of the time paradox created by Opal Koboi." he responded, a grimace on his face as he thought back to his old enemy.

Holly patted his back gently, nodding with satisfaction. "Well, keep that in mind, Mud Boy. We'll be watching you even closer now." she said, getting ready to leave with the rest of the People.

"Just what did you do to make them hate you so much?" Jack asked, noticing how many of them eyed Artemis with suspicion.

"Who said I hated him? Let's just say I have mixed feelings about this Mud Boy here." Holly said with a grin, waving as she left with the others.

"It was good seeing you again, Captain. Take care and tell Foaly thank you for his assistance." Artemis said, watching her leave while Jack only stared in confusion. "As for why they dislike me, I do believe I have made up for that small misunderstanding by now. After all, if it weren't for me, they would be under the rule of Opal Koboi from her devious plan with the goblin rebellion years ago." Artemis commented.

"Uh, that doesn't really answer the question kid." Jack replied, watching Artemis sigh and shake his head.

"I was a bit of a…different person back then. I kidnapped Captain Short and held her for ransom in order to fund the search for my missing father." he said after a moment, realizing that Jack had been trusted with the secrets of the People.

"Wait, what? How on earth does a kid come up with the idea to kidnap anyone?" the winter spirit asked, though Artemis had said enough on the matter it seemed.

"It appears that this matter has been dealt with and it is time for me to leave." Artemis commented, standing up and getting ready to walk out.

"Hey, wait a second! We've got something special planned for you over here." Jack said, grabbing Artemis and pulling him towards a different room. Artemis pulled his arm away, glaring at Jack but following anyway. He disliked being in physical contact with others still, though he saw no harm in following the Guardian into the room where the others were waiting.

They appeared to be a bit warn down from the attack, but their spirits were still bright. "Jack, you found him!" North cheered, hugging Artemis as soon as he was visible in the room.

The young genius struggled against the large man, finally feeling relieved when he was released. He thought he was done with the onslaught when the colorful fairy near him flew over and forcer her hands into his mouth, while the young boy tried to back away from her. "Oh look, his teeth are almost as white as yours, Jack! Also, no fangs at all, unlike what you claimed to see." she said, glaring at Jack who rolled his eyes in response.

"It was a joke, Tooth! Come on, let the kid go already." Jack argued, watching her release Artemis and back away after a few moments. When Bunny moved to come closer to Artemis, the boy did not hesitate to freeze him in time for a moment, just to give himself a break from all of these people.

Jack noticed Bunny's frozen state and burst into laughter, taking the opportunity to cover Bunny in snow before he was returned to normal. "I guess you do know how to have some fun, kid! This is awesome!" Jack cheered, watching North sigh and shake his head as Bunny turned back into normal and noticed the snow on his head.

"Frost, I'm going to get you for this!" Bunny yelled, getting ready to chase after the winter spirit only to be stopped by North.

"Alright, everybody calm down. We are here for a very special reason, Bunny, so I think you better be on good behavior from now on." North suggested, watching Bunny glare in response.

"Really? You're telling me that? Whose the guy that is more likely to start trouble, North, me or Frostbite over there?" Bunny asked, while Artemis simply observed with a small smile on his face.

This group was surely amusing it seemed, able to recover quickly from disasters such as Pitch's attack. "Aww, you know me so well, Bunny." Jack said sweetly, grinning as Bunny glared in response. Sandy was in the background, silent as ever as he watched the chaos in front of him. He floated over to Artemis and smiled at the boy, bowing and creating a hat to remove as part of his greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sandman." Artemis said softly, catching the attention of the rest of the room.

"Ah yes, thank you Sandy! Today is a big day indeed!" North said, looking overly excited about something. Artemis glanced at the others, wondering just what was going on. "Father Time, you have been chosen!" North began, a wide smile on his face as Artemis simply observed in silence, already knowing what was going to happen. He had come to accept it long ago, knowing that his life had ended and he had a new job to fulfill in the world. In doing this job, he would be protecting generations of Fowls down the line as their family grew, along with children all over the world. Perhaps Captain Short would realize that he had a bit more than a small spark of decency if she knew what he was about to become. "You are now Guardian!" North cheered, standing up as elves poured into the room, playing triumphant music to celebrate the occasion.

Even more creatures joined them, dancing and surrounding everyone to welcome Artemis into their group. "Just let me know if you want them to stop." Jack whispered, leaning close to Artemis' ear. It was clear that the winter spirit didn't exactly like this celebration, but Artemis knew how to be patient and let it come to an end.

"Welcome, Father Time, Guardian of Knowledge and protector of children around the world." North said as soon as the music ended, smiling down at Artemis as the boy stood up and nodded in response.

Artemis knew what North would ask him to do next, the oath he would be asked to take. He began it himself, without even letting North begin the speech After all, there were a few alterations he wished to make, since he intended to do much more than this simple job as a Guardian. "I will vow to watch over the people of the world and under it, to guard them with my life and protect their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams. I vow to provide them with the knowledge necessary to survive in this world and to protect them against any danger they may face, be it magical or not."

North blinked in surprise, as did the other Guardians when they heard Artemis' oath. After a few moments, North laughed and began to smile at the boy, patting his shoulder and getting up from his chair. "You will fit in just fine, I think." he said with another laugh, watching Jack fly over and grin at him. Artemis gave them all a smile, realizing that perhaps it was time for him to make some new friends after all. These people were his allies and it was now his job to protect the people of the world, regardless of their race or age. He had made a promise and he now had to follow through on it. With a smile on his face, Artemis let himself become a part of this group in front of him, the first group outside of Butler and Holly that seemed to have accepted him as one of their own, regardless of his past. He smiled, feeling proud of his new identity given to him by the moon. He was Father Time, the Guardian of Knowledge, and he would always watch over the world and keep it safe from harm.

 **Now, the story has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who read through this and reviewed, all of you are amazing! Feel free to review and let me know what you think, I always love hearing your opinions!**


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